Indebted
by spider fingers
Summary: When Kasumi breaks the host club's 2 million yen chandelier, she has no choice but to work to pay off her debt. That's hard to do when you're dealing with a 5'3" angry Japanese girl who hates everything and everybody. Mori/OC/Kyoya. Haruhi/Hikaru fluff.
1. Two million?

I want to know something.

How the hell does a _chandelier_ break?

I mean, I know it's made of glass so it's fragile, but I mean seriously. Maybe the guys who put it in weren't properly trained…or maybe they got distracted and thus it wasn't screwed into the ceiling completely. Personally, I would've sued those guys. But no. Of _course_ the stupid Host Club would blame me for it.

It was a normal day at Ouran High School. Well, as normal as it can get for me. It was hard, since I was sort of an idiot. I was failing most of my classes, which was weird considering I got here on a scholarship. But I guess that was the result of my parents dying.

Honestly, I wasn't a genius or anything; I just studied until my brain hurt and stayed up so late that I was a zombie during the day—my real forte would have to be anything mechanical, specifically computers. I was seriously the hacking whiz. One time, I hacked into the school's database just to see if I could do it. I did it under a minute. Because I'm _that_ awesome.

But then my parents died in a car accident and I ended up at my uncle's.

So, instead of making them proud and going to the expensive school and getting straight A's then going home to my tiny apartment, I'm failing my classes ("Due to grief", as my therapist says) and returning home to my rich uncle's mansion.

I know it's weird that I didn't just use the money he has in the first place, but my mom was proud and refused to ask her brother for help. Fortunately, in my parent's will, my uncle was the first one listed to take care of me. I refused to let him buy me a uniform though; I liked wearing my old public uniform. It was a lot cuter than those hideous yellow dresses the girls wore.

Anyway, I'm getting off the point here.

It was a normal day at Ouran High School and I was headed home, practically singing since I had managed to find someone who would tutor me for free. I mean sure he was a pervert and he was only doing it because he thought we'd be alone and he could like, I don't know, molest me with his eyes or something, but hey. Free.

So yeah, there I was minding my own business, frolicking down the halls toward the front of the school when suddenly someone grabbed me and forced me into some room. I let out a shout of surprise that sounded something like "GRYWHA" which wasn't unusual, since I always made really inhuman noises, and nearly fell on the floor when whoever had kidnapped me released my arm.

"Oh," my captor said, "wrong person."

I rubbed my head and shot him—a really cute him, not that it mattered—one of my best glares.

"Excuse you," was all I said before jumping to my feet and turning to leave. That was when, me being clumsy and my captor being an apparent idiot, he reached out to say something but ended up accidentally pushing me forward, which resulted in my head-first collision against the shut doors.

And then it happened.

A loud crack, some weird glass-on-glass noises, and then the chandelier (I had to wonder, in the horrifying moment, why the hell they had a chandelier in an empty music room, much less a school room) fell. It shattered on the floor loudly and then silence held the room still.

Thankfully no one was hurt. The few people in the room were far away, on the other side of the room seemingly looking at some black-haired guy's laptop, and my captor was close to me near the door so he wasn't hurt, only pale.

It was so quiet that I decided to break it.

"Oh fuck," I said like the dainty lady I am. "You guys should probably clean that up. Bye." I turned to flee when the black-haired laptop guy pulled a ninja on me and appeared right behind me, grabbing me by the back of my shirt and dragging me toward the back, away from the broken glass. My kidnapper followed, still pale and shocked.

"Hey! Lemme go! I'm the victim here!" I flailed a bit to emphasize this.

"You just hit the wall hard enough to make our two million yen crystal chandelier break," he said dully, "and _you_ claim to be the victim?"

"B-But…!" I sputtered. "That guy," I jabbed my finger at the pale blonde trailing behind us, "grabbed me from nowhere and forced me in here, _then_ he pushed me and _that's_ why I hit the wall! So yes, I am _totally_ the victim here!" I gulped in air and glared again.

He didn't answer me. Instead, he finally let me go when we reached the small throng of people lingering near some weird back rooms, mostly standing around a table with the black-haired guy's open laptop on it.

"What happened?" a brown-haired girl dressed as a guy asked.

"ARE YOU OKAY TAMAKI!" a small blonde wailed, thrusting his tiny body onto the tall blonde—er, apparently Tamaki, and let crocodile tears run down his baby face. I felt my eyebrow twitch in irritation.

"Fine…" Tamaki said, turning to stare at me. "Are you fine?"

"I'm fine!" I said shrilly. "I need to get home—"

"You're not going anywhere until you pay us for the damages," the glasses guy said. I flinched.

"T-Two million yen…damages?" I asked, you know, just to make sure.

"Two million yen damages."

You know, I was really starting to _hate_ glasses dude.

"I don't have that kind of money!" I shrieked. Actually, I technically did. But really, wouldn't I look really stupid and irresponsible if I went up to my uncle and asked for two million yen? I mean, what the hell was I supposed to say? "Hey, thanks for taking me in and feeding me and keeping me in school and all, but I broke a two million yen chandelier and I kind of need the money to pay. Thanks for letting me screw you over." Yeah. I don't think so.

"You don't?" glasses dude asked incredulously.

"I'm here on a scholarship!" I decided to add in hysteria.

"Hmm, really? My sources say you're failing all your classes."

I blushed. "Th-That's only due to the whiplash of my recent grieving period!"

I received blank stares. I understood those dumb looks. I gave the same look to my therapist when _he_ said it.

"Look," the cross-dressing girl said, "we can compromise here, can't we? You did in my case, sempai," she said pointedly to glasses boy, then the blonde—I mean Tamaki.

"But _you_ look enough like a boy to pass as one and help the club's profits," glasses replied to the girl-guy.

Sweat drop. "Gee thanks."

"—in this case," glasses continued coolly as if he didn't hear her, "Yoshinda Kasumi is far from passing as a boy," he said, looking at me. Completely disregarding the fact that he knew my name, I had to admit he had a point. Although I was short for my age, I wasn't underdeveloped or anything. I had long golden-brown hair that I always liked to grow out, seeing that I had bouncy natural curls near the end that most girls weren't blessed with. I had a fragile face and bright grey eyes. My mother used to say my eyes looked like the moon—she even laughed about how it was funny that her name meant 'moon child' and she had green eyes while I was the one with moon-colored eyes.

I had soft pale skin, though even though it was a 'beauty asset'; it was also annoying, since I bled easily and got burns if I didn't smother myself with sunscreen. Also, my veins showed a lot, even in my face, which wasn't usually noticeable but enough so that I was self-conscious about it.

I only stood at 5'3" but I had an average figure. I had a pretty flast chest but I was pretty skinny, otherwise, though I wasn't exactly the strongest person around…er, except when I get mad. I got my temper from my dad.

Well anyway, I wasn't exactly boyish-looking, but not exactly gorgeous either.

So I had to agree with glasses boy on that.

But then I stopped agreeing and got confused.

"Wait…so _that's_ why she's dressed like that?" I pointed at the blank-faced brown-haired girl. "…because she also owes you guys? Isn't that like…illegal? It sounds sort of like slavery to me."

"You shouldn't be talking, seeing the position you're in," glasses said. "I could always call my lawyer, if that's how you want it."

I paled, ignoring Tamaki when we began to freak out yelling something ridiculous about how his "daughter has been discovered" or something retarded like that. I chose to ignore him and glare angrily at smug-looking glasses boy, who was leering at me victoriously. What really pissed me off was that he _was_ victorious.

He totally won.

_Ass hole_.

"Fine," I finally said through clenched teeth. "What should I do—to work off this….debt?" I ground out slowly, wincing at every word. Glasses' smirk merely grew, thus, my anger grew.

"Well…seeing that you seem to have no real talent, you can simply serve our guests."

"No real talent!" I barked out bitterly. "Yeah."

_Let's see him say that again after I hack into his computer tonight and steal all his personal, private information….bastard…_I thought darkly as I frowned at him in irritation.

"That sounds great!" the tiny blonde midget cried in delight, hugging my leg in joy. "Kasu-chan, Kasu-chan, I'm so excited to have you in the club! It'll be fun with you—"

I flung my leg out and watched as he soared across the room, only to be caught by this tall dark-haired guy who always seemed to be at his side. I mentally measured how far he flew. Probably more than a meter. I should totally join the Olympics.

"Honey!" Tamaki gasped dramatically, rushing over to them.

"Man," a voice in my ear said.

"The new waitress is mean, isn't she?" another to my right said. I grimaced, realizing the mostly-quiet twins were now on either side of me. One was playing with my hair, the other seeming to be—nuzzling….my….ear.

Oh.

That was _it_.

"ENOUGH!" I roared, shoving the two snickering freshmen away from me in a flurry of rage. "I am _not_ going to serve your little fan girls. I am _not_ going to tolerate this—this _bull shit_ anymore! I'm going home. I'm never even going to walk down this hallway again, because guess what? I HATE YOU; ALL OF YOU. And no way in _hell_ am I going to stay here and be fucked with any longer, got it? So, adios, bitches, I'm going home to make voodoo dolls of you and stick pins up their asses," I shot glasses a smoldering glare. "And maybe behead yours."

With this I turned and marched from the room, leaving a silent, stunned room of Hosts behind me. I walked right out of the school, down the courtyard, out the gates and into my limo where my usual driver was waiting. Once I climbed into the back of the limo I got comfortable, having given up on trying to talk my uncle out of sending me a driver as well as ditching said driver. I kind of got used to it.

"Take me home, Bob," I demanded.

"My names Tora."

"Take me home Bob," I said again. I heard a sigh from up front.

"Yes, Yoshina-sama."


	2. Dinner Guests

I felt brain dead. Not just "I can't think of the answer right now let me sleep" brain dead, but actual drooling, stupid, full-on _brain dead_. I don't know if it was because of the hand that kept wandering around my ass or the fact that I had no idea what my tutor was saying, but either way, I felt like a complete and utter moron just sitting there trying to comprehend my teacher's words.

Well, that was understandable, seeing that he kept groping me no matter how many times I hit him or told him that I'd bite his hand off the next time he tried. I actually did at one point—bite his hand that is. I would've bitten the whole thing off too if his hand hadn't tasted horrible. Where has that thing _been_? It tasted horrible.

Wait. Never mind. I really don't want to know.

"Okay," he was saying, this time both hands on the table as he tried to show me how to do the math problem, "so 5m+n=8 and 3m-4n=14. We've already established that n=-5m+8. So next we substitute n with what we have. Show me."

I frowned at him blankly but took the offered pencil and wrote it down, since it was a pretty easy step. It was just the general aspect that stumped me.

"Good," he beamed at me a little too eagerly. "So 3m-4(-5m+8)=14. How would we solve this?"

I gave him a blank look.

"Think about it," he urged, tapping the pencil against the problem. I followed the pencil's movements before letting my gaze settle on the actual home work. After a long silence I heaved a sigh and furrowed my brow, really thinking about it.

"We multiply," he finally said when I gave him nothing. "When something is in parenthesis, it means that it's the first thing you have to solve. So solve it."

I rolled my eyes at him, just to annoy him, and grabbed the pencil before doing just that. Even though he was basically telling me what to do, I was pretty satisfied when I got the resulting equation, even if all I did was multiply it.

"Great. So we have 3m+20m-32=4. Now we—"

We were interrupted when my uncle came into the study room. I looked up, stifling my relief, and offered him a smile, which he returned.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Kasumi, you have a visitor."

I blinked at him.

"From school," he added. "He's waiting for you in the entrance room."

Him? Oh you have _got_ to be kidding me. I grabbed my binder and slammed it shut, hurriedly returning the pencils and easers and calculator to the drawer and pencil cases, shoving my binder back in my book bag and ignoring my tutor's soft protests at my big movements as I rushed to put everything away.

"Sorry but you need to leave," I said. "Go out the back."

He gave me an annoyed look. "Why—"

"Go," I snapped at him. He finally obeyed, leaving me as I put my heavy bag on the desk and rushed from the room. I had changed out of my public school uniform and into more comfortable clothes, that being my pajamas. Yeah, so, I was clad in blue cloud-patterned cotton shorts and a baby blue tank top. My hair was in a ponytail and fell slightly in my face since I wasn't wearing the headband I usually wore to keep my long bangs out of my face.

Well, I really didn't mind if one of _them_ saw me this way. Maybe they wouldn't care anymore and let me off, or something. Thankfully they didn't tell uncle—I knew that much since he wasn't angry when he came to get me.

_Props for that, ass holes_, I thought sarcastically as I headed to the entrance hall. I paused when I did, suspiciously walking closer to glasses dude and the cross-dresser as they stood in front of the door awkwardly, looking around.

"Well, it seems you _can_ afford to pay off the debt," glasses said when he saw me. I stopped in front of him, crossing my arms and glowering.

"No, I can't. I don't want to make my uncle pay you losers."

"Then you'll be the Host's temporary waitress?" glasses asked.

"No."

"Then you'll pay."

"_No._"

"Then I'll have to take this to court," he shrugged.

I groaned. "Wait, wait—for the love of—fine, okay? I'll be your stupid little server or whatever, but only until I pay off that two million."

"Good," he seemed satisfied and the girl looked annoyed. "By the way, my name is Kyouya. This is Haruhi."

"I meant to ask…how did you know my name? And where I live?" I glowered wearily. His glasses shone in a creepy kind of way and a smug look crossed his usually blank face.

"I know many things."

"Uh, okay," I eyed him. "That's not creepy at all."

"You get used to it," Haruhi said in boredom.

"Why are you even here?" I asked her.

"It was either this or be dragged around by Tamaki all day."

"Ah," I said in understanding. "Well, you guys should leave now," I said slowly, furrowing my brows at them. "I'm doing home work."

"Well—" Kyoya began, only to be cut off when my uncle walked up behind us. He saw my visitors and smiled brightly. He wasn't used to me bringing friends home—though they really weren't my friends, but whatever. I guess he got over-excited.

"I'm so glad you've finally brought friends home!" he said. "Are you hungry? We were getting ready for an early dinner since I have to leave on a business trip soon. You're free to stay."

"I don't think—" I began.

"I'd be honored," Kyoya interrupted me, giving me a cold smile that made my spine shiver. He was one creepy guy. Haruhi looked passive, not really seeming to mind. My uncle brightened and nodded, hurrying off to tell the chef to make more food. I spun to Kyoya once he left, a glower set on my face.

"What's the big idea? I agreed to be your stupid waitress, what more do you want?"

"Your food, apparently," Kyoya said.

"Apparently? You pretty much invited yourself!"

"Actually, your uncle did."

I gawked at him. I decided to turn to Haruhi, since she seemed much more—well, normal—than Kyoya was.

"Is he serious?"

"Sadly," she said.

"You're unbelievable," I whispered at him, narrowing my eyes again. "I didn't think it was possible to hate you any more than I already did."

He raised his eyebrow at me.

"Stand here until dinner," I said as rudely as I could. "Haruhi, you can come with me."

She blinked dully as I grabbed her arm and tugged her along with me. I wasn't sure where I wanted to go first. Usually I spent my free time teaching myself piano (by the way, I _still_ suck at it) or read. I hesitated for a mere moment before I decided to take her to my room. I slammed the door open and walked in, releasing Haruhi once I did.

My room was pretty boring, so I wasn't surprised when she only took one look around before looking at me expectantly.

My walls were pale blue. I had a big frilly white bed near a large sliding glass door that led to a terrace outside (my room was on the fourth floor, which was actually really annoying, but the other floors were for uncle's work or something). I had a desk near the door and my closet took up a lot of the room, though my clothes barely filled it.

A boring room for a boring girl.

Fitting, isn't it?

"We could go outside," I suggested, walking to the slide glass door. I pushed it open and stepped out, relieved that there was only small warm wind. Haruhi joined me and I flopped down on the small garden chair that sat behind the tiny table. Haruhi hesitated but joined me on the other side of the table.

"I'd laugh if he's still standing there by the time dinners ready," I suddenly said. Haruhi looked at me. "So what's your story?"

"I broke a vase."

"Oh. And…you happened to look like a boy, so they asked you to _cross_-dress?"

Haruhi blinked at me. I couldn't help but noticed she had really big, pretty brown eyes. Again, I had to wonder how they could mistake her for a guy. She was actually really pretty.

"They mistook me for a boy. I had on my glasses and my hair was pretty messy. I couldn't afford the uniform so I wore pants and sweater," she said blankly.

"Oh," I said again. "That makes more sense."

"Yeah," she replied.

"I don't get how you can handle all that stupidity every day," I sighed dramatically. "I mean, I know _I_ can't."

"You'll get used to it. I had to," she said.

"I doubt I can. Not to _that_."

"That?"

"Like, those annoying homosexual twins," I grimaced. "Don't they know incest is illegal? I mean, it's revolting. How do girls see any appeal in twincest at all? I find it gross. Oh and that Tamaki guy. How can you spend more than two minutes with him before strangling his stupid tiny neck? I applaud you for your patience."

"You're an unusually angry person Yoshinda-san," Haruhi said. I blinked at her, snapping out of my mini rant.

"I'm not angry. I'm just…I don't like them," I finished.

"I see."

"What?"

"Hm? I didn't say anything," Haruhi said coolly.

"You said 'I see' all high and mighty…like you want to say something else," I said.

"No."

"Yes."

"I don't understand."

"You're smart, you understand," I said, staring her down. She held my stare and I gave up, looking out at the back yard of the mansion. Thankfully uncle's ex-wife had been an enthusiastic gardener so the large yard in the back was full of flowers and plants. It was fun to look at sometimes.

"Do you like him?" I suddenly asked.

"Who?"

"Tamaki. He likes you."

"What…?" she had a mix of disinterest and repulsion on her face.

"I don't know," I sighed. "I'm good at reading people, I guess. Just a hunch."

"Well, you're wrong."

"Yeah, right," I rolled my eyes. If I was wrong, maybe it wasn't 'like' - just obsession. Heh.

We sat in silence, staring at the garden. After a moment I stood, dusting my shorts off.

"Dinner should be ready," I said. Haruhi stood and followed me through the room and down the halls. Eventually we reached the first floor and I stifled laughter when I saw Kyoya standing where we had left him. I hated to admit it, but it was sort of cute. He reminded me of a giant, ugly, stupid, obedient trained dog.

In glasses.

"I was just about to come get you," uncle said as he walked in. "Dinners ready."

"Come boy," I cooed at Kyoya, waving my hand. He stared at me blankly but followed us down the hall and into the dining room. We sat down near the end of the table while uncle sat with us, which wasn't that unusual since he liked sitting with me.

"Thank you for having us," Haruhi said, bowing politely. Uncle laughed.

"No formalities, please! Any friend of my niece's is a friend of mine."

"They're not my—"

"That's good to know sir," Kyoya interrupted me with that arrogant smile again.

The chef came out and put plates in front of us. My eyes brightened and I swore I drooled a bit when I saw it was steak. Which, if you didn't know, was my favorite.

"I love you uncle," I said in awe before stabbing the hunk of meat with my fork. Uncle laughed again.

"You're welcome. I remember your mother used to tell me all about how you adored steak."

I chewed noisily, ignoring Kyoya's weird stare. It was probably my inappropriate table manners. Well, too bad, I wasn't raised like this. Jerk. Haruhi ate just as noisily, though she was a bit daintier about it, as strange as that was. We didn't talk, which I was grateful for, and after dinner Uncle hugged me goodbye and left for his flight. Once gone I waited until they were done eating before I pushed them toward the door.

"Well, as _great_ as this visit was," I said sarcastically, "you should get home."

"Thank you for having us," Kyoya smirked.

"Shut up."

"Thank you Yoshinda-san," Haruhi bowed again.

"_You_, Haruhi, are welcome any time," I said sweetly. "You, Kyoya, are not."

I pushed him out and nodded as Haruhi stepped out after him. Then I slammed the door shut as dramatically as possible. I spun on my heel and hurried to my room, on the _fourth fucking floor_, and crawled into bed weakly even though no one was there to see my theatrics. I was _tired_. I don't know why, but it suddenly hit me. With one last sigh I let myself fall asleep peacefully. For the first time in a long time, I had a peaceful night of sleep.

And it had _nothing _to do with the Host Club.


	3. Maid dresses and perverts

I seriously want to know how I got into this situation.

I mean, yeah, I broke a chandelier, but it wasn't even my fault. I was pretty much black mailed into being in this stupid club (who I hated—except Haruhi, I kind of like her) and now they expect me to wear…_that_.

You see, when school ended, I headed to the Host Club like the good girl I am. Well, actually, I just didn't want to get sued. I kind of accepted my doomed fate after last night…but you get the point.

When I stepped into the room the first thing I noticed was that the floor was glass-free. The second thing I noticed was that a maid dress was being shoved in my face, compliments of a sparkling—yeah, _sparkling_, Tamaki.

"What the hell is _that_?" I asked in repulsion, pinching the fabric of the dress and scrunching my nose.

"A dress."

"Well, obviously," I said as I shot the twin who had said it an exasperated look. I could never tell them apart. "Do you—do you expect me to _wear this_?" I asked in horror.

"Of course!" Tamaki cried, shoving the dress at me again. "I had it shipped in from France!"

I glared at him. "I'll be your waitress or whatever, but I refuse to wear that."

"The club opens soon," Kyoya said out of nowhere. "Stop complaining and put it on."

"No!"

"Cooperate; it'll be less painful if you do," he said. I grimaced.

"You can take this dress," I yanked at the dress and shot Tamaki a cool stare. "And shove it up your—"

"Watch the language!" a twin cried, slapping his hands over Honey's ears. The little guy refused to come near me. I didn't really blame him, you know, after kicking him clear across the room like that. That was actually pretty awesome…

"You get what I mean," I settled with.

"Club opens in four minutes," Kyoya said blankly, typing away at his laptop. _Mental Note: create computer virus and send it to Kyoya. Make sure it gets rid of EVERYTHING. Kukukuku, that'll teach him…_

I snapped out of it when a finger pressed against my cheek.

"Neh, Yoshinda-san, you're drooling." A twin said quite loudly. When the hell did he appear next to me?

I rubbed at my bottom lip. Yeah, I tended to drool when I was happy. So what?

"Pleeeease, princess, you'll look beautiful!" Tamaki spun on his toe. Like a fucking gay little ballerina. I suddenly had a mental image of him in a tutu, prancing along a stage. I snapped out of my disturbing day dream when Kyoya said the words he knew put a leash on me:

"Law. Suit."

I snatched the dress from Tamaki and stormed to the back, where pink curtains that promised dressing rooms waited me. I hastily changed, snapping out curses as I did as I wiggled into the stupid maid dress. I kept my socks and shoes but put my uniform in a paper bag they had left for me. I left without looking in the mirror because, well, I'd rather not.

I blinked dully when Tamaki got a nosebleed that sent him slamming against the wall. The twins looked impressed and Mori looked…er, well, like he always did. Honey sort of danced a bit and crooned out compliments…still keeping 2 meters away from me. That was as close as he'd go. Smart lad.

"Whatever," I said, somewhat embarrassed at the attention. "Shut up and tell me what I need to do."

"Just serve the customers drinks and food. Like any other commoner waitress," Kyoya said. I felt a vein pop and I scowled at him.

"Well, sorry, mister rich bastard, that I happen to know what working for my money means. I know what to do. Just show me the…er, room," I peered about. Tamaki ended up showing me around, though I wasn't too happy about that. He liked to sing, I noticed, a lot. He also liked touching.

A lot.

Yeah, that didn't go too well with me.

After he finally managed to show me around (and avoid getting beaten to death, compliments of _moi_) he skipped off to introduce the guests. I decided to go in the back until the club officially opened. I sighed, gathering my scatter-brained thoughts as I collected myself. Honestly, I was a bit rattled. All of this crazy stuff was happening all at once, so fast. It gave me mental whip lash.

"Ah," someone said.

I spun around so fast that I fell forward. Strong arms steadied me, gently touching my arm and pushing me straight again. I felt myself turn red in humiliation, looking up to see…Mori?

I had an opinion about everyone in the club. Kyoya: I hate him. Haruhi: I like her. Honey: I don't like him. Tamaki: I hate him. The Twins: I hate them. Mori: N/A. I don't know…I didn't like him, I didn't hate him. He was sort of just…there. I didn't really acknowledge him most of the time. Is that mean? I don't think it is. I'm just…dismissive sometimes.

But somehow he seemed pretty cool, catching me like that and all.

"Uh, thanks?" I managed to say. He nodded solemnly. Honey poked his head in and I swear to God pink flowers popped up behind him as he sparkled like some bad shojo manga character.

"Mori, did you tell her?"

"Ah…" he said.

"Oh! Ku-chan, the clubs opened now! Tamaki-sempai said to get to work."

"Ugh, whatever," I said, grabbing the platter Kyoya had told me I had to use. He even had a back room full of drinks and food, the idiot; some music room. I walked past Mori and Honey, chin tilted high in defiance, and walked up to the first table I saw. It happened to be Haruhi's, so my stiff stance relaxed slightly.

"Do you girls want anything?" I asked.

"Oh? You guys have a waitress now?" a brunette asked curiously. "She's cute!"

"Erm…" I twitched.

"Can I have some hot tea?" a blonde asked sweetly.

"Right away."

"A parfait for me, please!" another chirped. I wanted to say, "then go to Honey's table he has a billion sweets there", but I merely nodded when I saw Kyoya's glinting stare on me. I tried not to drop the platter and leave.

"Yes, of course," I forced out, spinning around to stalk to the other room. I returned with their order and repeated this process. The hosts mostly ignored me—well, everyone but the twins. I swear to God they just loved pissing me off. When I got to their table they brightened.

"Would you—"

"Princess!" Hikaru crooned, spinning over to me. He held my chin. "Why are you so sad, princess? Are you upset that you lost your throne? Now, you must serve the kings?" his grin was so sleazy I wanted to rip it right off his face.

"Get. Off. Me."

"Aw, don't be so mean, princess!" the other twin said, coming up on my other side. "We won't tease you _too_ much."

"Why don't you go fuck each other?" I asked with a leer.

"AH!" a random twincest fangirl shrieked at the word. "She said…!"

"How vulgar!"

"Unladylike!" the girl who first freaked gasped.

"Very much so," the one on my left said. "We have to wash out that mouth, don't we, Kaoru?"

Oh.

"I think we do, brother," he agreed, licking—yeah, _licking_—his lips like a perverted old man. I shuddered and brought the empty platter up, pressing it against my cheek to shield my face.

"Do you _want_ to lose a penis?" I growled.

"Oh, there it is; that mouth again," the guy I think was Hikaru sighed, shaking his head. "We really need to clean that out. She's corrupting our lovely guests!"

I looked at the 'lovely guests', who were watching in interest. Oh great.

"I seriously have better things to do then stand here and be played around by you two," I said, narrowing my eyes at them wearily. "In case you didn't know, I have a—er, a job to do, so…"

"Don't worry, we're helping," Kaoru (I think) snickered against the platter, which I still had defending my face. "You can't serve our guests properly with a sailor's mouth, can you?"

"I swear—" I barked out when Hikaru suddenly spun, grabbing my arm and pressing his mouth to mine.

Yeah.

Cue collective gasps.

—just kidding. I brought up the platter in time to shield my face so his mouth crashed against the dirty silver instead of my virgin mouth.

"HA!" I cried hysterically, laughing maniacally. "I'VE FOILED YOUR MOLESTATION PLAN!"

He blinked dully. "My what…?"

"Aw, you're no fun, Yoshinda-san!" Kaoru pouted.

"Yeah, maid-san," the girls crowed in disappointment. I shot them a disgruntled look then instinctively looked over my shoulder at Kyoya. He was talking to a customer then looked at me and smirked. I narrowed my eyes at him again then turned back to the fan girls, squinting my eyes at them for dramatic effect.

"Just for that, you don't get maid-san's services."

The rest of the day was me serving everyone except the twin's table. Well, until Kyoya told me I had to or else he'd add to my debt (At this, Haruhi paled and gave me sympathetic and somewhat scared glance). At that point I forced myself to serve them, but they mostly seemed interested in flirting with each other, so I was safe. The girls seemed to enjoy my presence, which I didn't get since they were here for the guys. It was probably the dress. They asked obnoxious, weird things, like "maid-san, are you French? You have such pretty hair…" or "What kind of face wash do you use!" or "I love that dress!" and even "How big is your yacht?" I swear, I was about to rip my hair out and jump out to window just to escape it.

But, thankfully, eventually the day ended and I was released. Once the doors shut and the room was empty of any guests, I let out a very unladylike grunt (it was very manly, if I do say so myself) and ripped at the bow around my waist, then at the buttons around my chest. I was sure I looked 'improper' but whatever, I hated them so I don't care. They didn't seem to either, pretty much busy blabbing to each other (or in Tamaki's case, spinning Haruhi around) to care about me.

I went to the back and got changed back into my uniform then returned back, searching for my school bag, realizing I forgot where I put it.

"Hey, guys, where's my bag?" I asked.

"I don't know, where did you put it?" Haruhi asked after she managed to escape Tamaki's clutches.

"I don't know…uh, on the couch, but it's not there anymore," I said.

"I didn't move it," Tamaki said.

"Did someone take it?" Honey cried in anguish. "Poor Ku-chan!"

"Why would someone take my bag?" I asked in astonishment.

"Yeah, it looks like it was bought from a retail store," one of the twins said. Both snickered. I chose to ignore them.

"Actually," Kyoya said, pushing his glasses up his nose so they glinted. He was really, really creepy. Did I say that already? Yeah, well, he was. "I think I saw someone take it."

"THEN WHY DID YOU LET THEM TAKE IT!" I shrieked.

"…didn't see the point. It isn't _my_ bag," he said drearily, turning his attention back to his laptop. Oh yeah, I am _so_ sending him a virus when I got home tonight.

"This is bad!" I panicked. "My bag has my I.D.! My books! My home work! MY TAMPONS! _MY YAOI MANGA_!" I shook my fist to the sky. "WHYYYY?"

"Mori, what's yaoi?" Honey suddenly asked. I paused.

"Anyway," I chose to change the subject before Honey was traumatized, "I need my bag back. Who took it?"

"I don't know."

"Don't you know _everything_?" I asked him sarcastically. He didn't look at me. "Hey! Glasses! I'm talking to you! Who took it?"

"I told you. I don't know."

"Ugh!" I gave up. "Fine! I'll find it myself!"

I turned to storm off when suddenly Honey appeared at my side, holding a pink bunny—I'm not shitting you, a _pink bunny_ (and this guy's _older_ than me?), the other hand holding onto Mori's sleeve. Honey shot me a smile. I couldn't help but notice he was standing 1.6 meters from me. Brave boy.

"I'll help you, Ku-chan!"

"Uh, why?" I asked. I didn't get an answer since Tamaki suddenly popped up beside me as well.

"GOOD IDEA! I'll aid Yoshinda-san in her quest to find her bag!"

"Milord, you can't," the twins said at the same time. Creepy. "You and Kyoya have that important meeting today. Remember?"

"Oh," he said sadly, going all grey. "B-But, my princess, she needs my help…ahhh…." he said in woe. I sweat dropped.

"I'll help too," Haruhi offered. "I've gotten my bag taken before. It's probably just juvenile bullying."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Tamaki suddenly cried in sorrow, gripping his head and falling to his knees. "MY PRINCESS IS BEING BULLIED! DADDY—HE MUST HELP—!"

He was dragged off by Kyoya, who was emotionless as always. I watched them go dully, not sure what to think anymore. I was too tired to resist the unwanted help so I let the others (the twins included) come with me to search for my bag.

"They probably went home already," one of the twins said. Gosh, I really needed to learn names. I'll call this one Twin 1.

"Or they stayed," I said. "We never know."

"Right," Twin 2 mumbled sarcastically.

"Guys, stop," Haruhi sighed heavily.

"Yeah! We have to help Ku-chan!" Honey said. I noticed he was still 1.6—oh no wait, 1.7—meters away from me. I was starting to feel bad about that.

"Hey, did you see that?" Twin 2 suddenly asked, getting all still and serious. I stopped as well.

"What?" I whispered.

"I thought I heard someone," Twin 2 continued. "I think it's the criminal!"

"What? That's stupid. You can't know that by—"

"Hush!" he said. Everyone stilled. "Listen…" he said quietly. I concentrated ahead of me, intent on hearing whatever Twin 2 was hearing. Suddenly something cold blew in my ear and a voice whispered "boo."

"GRYAHAAAAAAAAAWAH!" I shrieked, leaping into the arms of Haruhi, who stumbled slightly at the sudden weight. "GHOOOOOOOST!"

Twin 2 fell against his brother laughing. I realized what had happened and growled, glaring at them as angrily as I could. I was always a good glarer. I got practice with my dad—he had always been one to push my buttons.

"You ass! That was low!" I cried.

"Hum, Yoshinda-san? You're heavy…" Haruhi mumbled. I blinked and jumped out of her arms with a nervous laugh.

"Sorry about that."

"No," she said, "it's fine."

I spun to the twins, who were still laughing, and gave them both a good kick. Honey watched curiously and Mori was as lucid as ever. I bristled when I heard Twin 2 mutter,

"I saw your panties in that kick."

This earned him another one.

"Come on, let's find my bag," I huffed, continuing down the halls briskly. Mori, Honey and Haruhi followed. Twin 2 dragged behind with help from Twin 1, who, oddly, seemed to be amused at his brother's pain.

We wandered about, though I honestly didn't know where to look or anything. I felt sort of stupid, but the others didn't say anything about it. Other than the twins pissing me off with their annoying teasing and Honey's constant calls of "Ku-chan! Ku-chan!" the search itself wasn't all that bad. Eventually, we even got somewhere—by 'got somewhere' I mean I saw my tutor and sort of knew instantly.

I say sort of because I didn't see the bag, but it kind of all clicked.

"Sensei!" I said, pointing at him. "What are you doing here so late?"

He froze, looking at me in surprise. He was in the same year as me so being at school wasn't unusual…but he didn't have any after school activities, so it was definitely suspicious.

"Um, I was just looking for you. We have plans today," he eyed the boys behind me wearily.

Then I saw my bag kicked under the chair of the desk he had been leaning in front of. I clenched my jaw and glared at him coolly.

"Is that my bag?"

"Um…I wanted to check your home work…" he said lamely.

"Ha, right!" I frowned bitterly. "That's a major invasion of privacy, you pervert! Give it back!"

"Yeah, give it back!" Honey cried in a cute way that really didn't help the situation. Sensei ignored him, guiltily handing me by bag. I snatched it from him and slung it over my shoulder.

"Oh, and sensei? You're fired."

I walked off before he could react.

"Well, we found the bag. Let's go home, Hikaru," Twin 1 said. Twin 2—who I guess was Hikaru—nodded, relieved.

"We? Don't you mean _I_ found the bag?"

"No," Twin 1 said.

"Whatever," I said. I tended to say that a lot lately. "Now I have no tutor. Ugh, I'm gonna have to repeat the year, at this rate…" I rubbed my temple in anguish.

"Honey's pretty good in school," Twin 1 said before walking off. Real nice, guys, real nice. Saying that all suggestively then leaving like that—what a bunch of rich bastards. I decided to glare after them until they disappeared then turned to Mori and Honey.

"1.8 meters," I said.

"Eh?" Honey tilted his head at me.

"Your 1.8 meters away from me," I explained. "I won't kick you again."

"Eh?" he asked again. I sighed.

"Would you…er, tutor me?" I felt humiliated, but Honey seemed to like me, even if he was a bit scared of me, and I was sure he wouldn't charge me for tutoring lessons.

"Really! Can I?" he brightened.

Sweat drop. "Uh, yeah, sure…"

"And I can hug you?" his eyes sparkled. Okay,_ that_ I wasn't too fond of. But what the hell, as long as he was good at school and didn't charge me, one hug wouldn't hurt. I hesitated and scrunched my face up painfully as I slowly nodded my head.

"YAY! KU-CHAN!" he jumped onto me and practically began to purr against me, wiggling a little in joy. Uh, yeah, kind of creepy. I awkwardly pushed him back.

"So, that's a yes?"

"YEAH!" he said happily. "Mori is really smart too! He can help!"

I looked at the silent tall boy, grimacing slightly. He was friggin' _tall_. I mean, I knew he was tall, but in that moment he was looming above me like the Eifel Tower. He had that blank look on his face and I swear shadows cast along his face ominously. He was sort of creepy too, though not as creepy as Kyoya. And it didn't look like he did it on purpose like Kyoya did.

"Sure, why not," I decided. "When can you start?"

"Uhm, huuu, what's today?" Honey asked.

"I think it's Thursday," I said thoughtfully. "Why?"

"On Saturday! I'll tutor you then."

"Thanks," I said. "Um…"

"I can find out where you live. See you tomorrow! BYE!" he waved as he climbed onto Mori's shoulders. Mori simply nodded at me and walked off. I blinked rapidly as they left, suddenly alone in the hallway. I left a moment later, perturbed, and headed out front. I felt bad when I saw my limo was still there. I apologized to the driver and climbed into the seat.

"What a day, Bob," I said in woe. "My life suddenly got really crazy."

"Story of my life," he muttered. I pretended not to hear him.

"Oh Bob, I swear I emit some sort of pheromone that attracts weirdoes. I mean, I'm forced to flounce about in a _maid dress_ for a bunch of drooling fan girls and rich, egotistical bastards."

"Yoshinda-sama, you're rich too."

"No, uncle's rich," I corrected. "I just happen to live with him."

"Of course."

"Bob, do you have a family?"

"Yes. I have a wife and a son."

"What's your son's name?" I asked. I don't know why; I guess I wanted to focus on someone else's life instead of my bizarre one. Sad, I know.

"Hideki."

"Cute," I said. "How old is he?"

"He's turning six this weekend."

"How cute!" I cried in delight. "That sounds fun."

I saw him smile slightly in the mirror up front. "It will be."

I sighed in content, turning my gaze outside. I suddenly had a thought, an urge really, and bolted upright. I clutched at the back of the seat and turned toward Bob, smiling brightly at my genius idea.

"Bob, can we make a detour?"

His eyebrow rose. "Where, Yoshinda-sama?"

"Where else? Yokohama."


	4. Yokohama!

I know you must be thinking "Yokohama? Wha?" but I have a perfectly logical reason for this. My only friend ever, Sayomi, lives in Yokohama—she moved there a year ago. We still write and talk on the phone but we haven't seen each other yet. After having such weird people barreling into my life, I wanted to see a comfortable, familiar face.

Bob was surprised at first but he couldn't refuse me and agreed. Uncle was out of town anyway, so he wouldn't know I was gone. I even planned to stay the night there and ditch Friday of school. I know it was stupid, since I attended a rich school and all, but I was feeling spontaneous. I was sure Sayomi would be delighted at my dramatic surprise appearance. She loved surprises.

I admit the drive was longer than I expected but once we got there I was overjoyed.

"Yoshinda-sama, do you—"

"She lives right here, actually, near the subways," I said. "That really cool apartment complex. Bob, you can either wait outside or drive around. I can call you when I need a ride."

"I can't just leave you, Yoshinda-sama," he said.

"Yeah you can."

"I cannot."

"You can."

"Yoshinda-sama, I _cannot_."

I pushed 9000 yen into his face ("emergency money," uncle said). "How about now? Get some lunch."

"….f-fine," he sighed nervously. "But call me."

"I will!" I cried happily when he pulled in front of the apartment building. "Thanks Bob! I'll see you soon!" I slid out of the limo and slammed the door shut before bolting up the spiral of stairs. I knew which room she was in since she loved repeating it, proud that she had her own place even though she _just_ turned twenty.

Once I got to the apartment room I started hitting the door.

"Sayomi! Open up!" I called. "Guess who?"

I heard a lot of glass breaking and heavy footsteps, even a couple screams, and the door flung open to reveal my wonderful Sayomi. Her black hair was mussed up, her long bangs in need of a trim, her choppy short hair sticking to her sweaty face. Her pretty blue eyes were wide and a grin was stretched across her face. She wore a giant Tokyo City sweatshirt and was panting heavily.

"K-Kaaaasuuuumi!" she sobbed out, yanking me in and hugging me.

"Sayooo—oh God, you smell!" I cried out, wiggling out of her hug. I plugged my nose. "Geesh, did you just run a marathon?"

"Sorry, my air conditioner is broken," she apologized, still beaming. "I'm getting it fixed. Never mind that! What are you doing here?"

"I ran away," I sighed. "Well, for today; maybe tomorrow too. I don't feel like going to school."

"Ohh, Kasu grew some bad bones," she whistled, impressed.

"I've never ditched school before, just once won't hurt."

Sayomi grinned. "You can stay here!"

"I planned on it. I want you to show me around! I've never been here," I peered about her apartment. I wasn't that surprised that it was a wreck. She had dishes piled up in the sink and clothes were strewn across the couch as well as magazines and wrappers. The trash bag was full and smelled horrid.  
Ah, my wonderful, messy, gross Sayomi.

"You need a house maid," I observed.

"I need a god," she agreed, wrinkling her nose as she peered about her own apartment. "I know! Help me clean and I'll buy you lunch and take you shopping!"

"Can you _afford_ it?" I quipped.

"Oh shut up. Actually, I won the lottery! Granted, it was only a couple thousand yen, but still, I didn't know how to spend it! Now I know!" she bounced happily. "Let me shower. We can go in an hour. Watch TV or something, I'll be quick," she said, dashing off before I could reply. I decided to clean while she showered. I stayed out of the bathroom and her room, but I cleaned everywhere else.

Though it was messy, it was strangely easy to clean. I guess that, other than the dirty dishes, all I had to do was straighten things up and throw things away.

Since I planned on staying over for the night I decided to call Bob. He answered immediately.

"I'm staying at a friends. Go home, alright? I'll get a ride back."

"What! Yoshinda-sama—" he began but I hung up before he could protest. I felt a bit bad but he was way too like, I don't know, protective of me. He was a cool guy and all, but I wanted a day of just—you know…_fun_. For the first time in a long time, I wanted to just have fun with old friends.

Eventually Sayomi stepped out of the bathroom, her hair dripping wet, but she wore a black shirt and jeans. She was in the middle of pulling up her hair into a ponytail as she stepped out and flashed me a grin.

"Holy shit did God walk through here?" she gawked when she noticed my handy work.

"Nope, just me."

"Well then, lunch it is."

"Don't forget shopping," I decided to add. She laughed.

"Right, how could I forget? Come on, let's go," she said brightly. "Let me get my purse."

She rushed off and returned with her big black bag. We left, using her new car (her dad got it for her in celebration of her getting accepted into a fashion college nearby) and drove to a small café where we ate and talked for hours. I felt like I was reconnecting with her; Sayomi and I hadn't spoke in a while, not as often as we used to via letters and phone calls, and seeing her in person was comfortable.

We went shopping too, but not for long. She managed to get to me to let her buy me a sweater I had been eyeing. She even playfully got a white shirt that said "YOKOHAMA" across the chest, which for some reason made me laugh. We even stayed up all night watching movies and telling each other about our lives. Eventually she finally asked me why I decided to play hooky.

So I told her.

"Are you serious?" she asked me when I was finished, shocked.

"Yeah, obviously," I said as I shoved popcorn in my mouth. We had a bowl sitting between us, lying on the floor with a bunch of pillows and blankets. The TV was blaring above us, the volume turned down so we could talk.

"That's….hilarious," she laughed a bit.

"No, it's a nightmare."

"A _funny_ nightmare."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Wow, thanks, Sayomi. I come here for comfort and you laugh at me."

"Sorry, babe, but it's pretty funny," she said. "So, this Mori guy…"

"I mentioned Mori?" I asked blankly.

"Vaguely. You said, and I quote: 'this tall silent guy who thinks being mysterious is sexy—'" she stopped and flashed me a lazy grin. "Sexy huh?"

"I didn't say that!" I said indignantly.

"You did!" she cackled in amusement. "I think you like him!"

"I hate all of them!" I cried out. "Other than Haruhi, she's okay, but everyone else is annoying!"

"Isn't one of them tutoring you?"

"Well…yeah, but that doesn't mean I _like_ him."

"You're really no fun," she sighed.

"I'm no fun because I actually have a _brain_?"

"You're no fun because you don't _let_ yourself have any fun," she said. Oh no, she had on her 'I'm serious right now and I'm gonna go off on a deep speech about your feelings' face. "You tend to like, close yourself off. Your first reaction to everything is anger and you tend to either scare people off or simply run from them. These guys—yeah they seem weird, but some of them seem genuinely nice. Just, try to accept their attempt at friendship."

I sighed at her. "You wouldn't say that if you met them."

"I'm sure I would."

"Ugh…" I said. "You really think so? I doubt it. They're _way_ mentally unstable. I just can't stand them. What kind of people charge girls to flirt with them? That's pretty much whoring yourself, right?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Well, whores are people too!" Sayomi cried dramatically. "You're racist!"

"Wow Sayomi, wow," I stifled the urge to roll my eyes at her dramatic antics. "Let's watch TV."

"Deal!" she yanked the remote up and turned the volume up. Eventually we fell asleep while watching TV. We managed to move enough in our sleep to end up in a strange position; I ended up using her stomach as my pillow and had two blankets draped over me awkwardly. Sayomi had her head rolled to the side, one of her legs pressed against the wall—which, I thought as I woke up the next morning, must hurt.

"Sayomi, get up," I shook her with a yawn, glancing at the clock on the VCR. I felt really hot and felt my body reek and slick with sweat. Damn broken air conditioner. "It's like, six, I need to call in sick or else they'll call uncle."

"Huhhh, wha?" she muttered, swatting at my hands.

"Get up," I leaned forward. "Gackt is in the kitchen making pancakes!"

"Where!" she gasped, shoving me and leaping to her feet. She blinked awake and frowned at me, feigning tears. "That was cold, Kasumi, that was ice cold. I want Gackt's pancakes."

"Get me your phone."

"Wow, miss bossy so early in the morning," she muttered as she walked to the kitchen. She returned a moment later, shoving the phone in my hand. I thanked her and she grumbled at me as she went off to get dressed. I laughed when she began to narrate her actions mockingly until I heard her turn the shower on. I shook my head as I dialed the school number. I have _no_ idea how I even knew the number. It may always be a mystery.

After I was connected to someone in the health office I lowered my voice and said, "Yoshinda Haru here, calling to report that my niece Kasumi will not be at school today. She's ill, I'm afraid."

"Oh, alright then, Yoshinda-san," the woman behind the phone said gently. "I'll talk to the attendance office."

"Thank you," I said and hung up, perplexed that I actually got away with it. I always thought my 'man voice' impressions sucked but apparently all that practice paid off.

Um…yeah, don't ask why I spent time practicing my man voice.

I don't even know.

After Sayomi finished showering I took one right after, borrowing an old dress of hers—one of her summer dresses from years ago. She offered to drive me home and I accepted the offer, suddenly excited at the thought of having the mansion to myself for the weekend.

Other than Honey tutoring me, that is.

The ride was pretty fun. We talked and joked most of the way, turning up music and singing loudly. At one point we even got a guy waiting at the stop light next to us to dance too. But all good things come to an end and I found myself at home, hugging Sayomi tightly in woe.

"Thanks for the ride," I said as I dug in the plastic bag she had given me to hold my clothes and such to find my keys. "I had fun."  
"We should hang out more often," she said.

"I agree—"

"KU-CHAN!" a familiar voice wailed. I froze, my skin prickling and my face draining of all color. It couldn't be. Oh God, please, don't forsake me now, please tell me that voice was but a mere horrid memory.

"Yoshinda-san, you don't _look_ sick," another voice said and I knew it wasn't a dream at all.

I turned and, sure enough, the host club stood there. In front of my house.

Uninvited.

"I thought you were sick!" Honey cried sadly.

"What an amazing recovery," Twin 1 said thoughtfully.

"She's sick!" Sayomi decided to jump in, obviously recognizing who these people were. She hugged my head, tugging my short self against her and frowned at the small throng of people. "We just got back from the doctor's. She needs rest."

"Oh?" Kyoya deadpanned.

"MY POOR PRINCESS!" Tamaki sobbed out. "ARE YOU SO ILL YOU CANNOT GIVE DADDY A HUG?"

"…I'm too sick to even look at you," I groaned, turning away. I didn't mean it literally but he seemed to take it that way.

"MY POOR PRINCESS!" he said again. I twitched. "WE CAME TO NURSE YOU TO HEALTH, SINCE YOUR UNCLE IS GONE!"

"Stop talking in caps lock!" I snapped. "Go home. Sayomi is here to help me."

Haruhi held up a grocery bag. "….I brought soup…..and medicine."

Somehow, the gesture, and the way her face was void with emotion, I found her strangely cute. I stared at her a second longer then sighed for the fifth time that day and shook my head.

"Fine, okay? I'm not sick, I lied," I admitted, pushing Sayomi away. "I just wanted to visit my friend Sayomi."

"—I'm dying," Sayomi said. "I have a terminal illness and Kasumi came to offer to take care of me," she feigned tears that rimmed her eyes. "She wanted to spend one normal day with me before I die."

"If you're ill, shouldn't you be in a hospital?" Kyoya asked.

"Umm…." Sayomi said slowly.

"So you lied to get out of school," Kyoya concluded.

"Hey! No fair, you didn't give me time to think of a good excuse!" Sayomi crowed in irritation. I threw my arms in the air, defeated.

"Sayomi, go home. You all, come with me," I found the keys and shoved them in roughly, grumbling to myself the whole time.

"K-Kasumiiiii…" Sayomi whined.

"Go, I'll talk to you later," I said firmly. She gave up and went to her car, shouting gibberish in anger as she did. I ignored her, pushing the door open and stepping in. I glared as each host entered then slammed the door shut.

"Why are you really here?"

"To play doctor with you, Ku-chan!" Honey said, hugging me tightly. I sighed loudly, deciding to ignore him. As long as he didn't touch anywhere he shouldn't, I didn't see the point in letting him hinder my point.

"I would buy it if it was just Honey and Haruhi. But you guys?" I glared at the others. "What's really going on?"

Kyoya pushed up his glasses. "Well…"

"WE'RE GOING TO THE BEACH!" Tamaki shrieked in joy, dancing a bit for emphasis. I sweat dropped.

"Uh…?"

"In Florida," Kyoya said.

"Uh…! You can _afford_ that?"

"We don't need to. We have our own means of travel," Kyoya explained.

"Rich bastards…" Haruhi and I muttered at the same time.

"IT SHALL BE GRAND!" Tamaki picked up poor Haruhi and spun some more. "I even bought you two girls some swimsuits!"

My eye twitched. Was he _serious_? "And…?"

"You're coming, of course!" Tamaki put Haruhi down and came to me. I stumbled back to avoid his touch, surprised when Mori stepped up and stared at Tamaki. I guess they can talk with eyes or something because he backed off, looking a bit scared.

"Right, anyway," he said, turning to beam at me again. Thankfully he kept a distance from me. "We want you to come!"

"So I can serve you?" I scoffed.

"You're fluent in English, correct?"

I nodded wearily. "Oh. So I'm the translator."

"Yeah!"

I stared at them blankly. "Get out of—"

I heard Kyoya's voice call gently, "Law suit."

"—town!" I finished awkwardly. "I…would…totally…like to go…" I forced out. I forgot Honey was clinging to me until he wiggled happily against me, making me jump, and tilted his head back to grin at me. I blinked down at him. He really took action on my whole 'hugging permission' thing.

"I wanna see Ku-chan in a swimsuit," he whispered, licking his lips. I went red, gawking at him as he giggled cutely and skipped off to Mori. I continued to gawk, confused, oh so confused. Was I imagining things? Did such a deep, suggestive tone leave those innocent baby lips? I shook my head, aghast, and grimaced when Tamaki got to me again, picking me up. I looked down at him in annoyance as he beamed up at me, his grin stretching so far across his face I was worried it would crack.

"So it's decided! We leave in a week!"

"A week?"

"A week!" he repeated in joy. "On Monday! Bring your bags on school that day. I'll keep reminding you!" he let me down and rushed back to bother Haruhi.

"And remember," Kyoya said as he suddenly appeared at my side, "you still have to show up after school. Got it?"

I grimaced. "Whatever."

"I'll take that as a yes."

I watched him walk toward the door and usher the others, who were busy wandering around and pointing at things in the house, out of the house with him. Haruhi turned to me after the chaotic group left and bowed politely.

"I'm sorry about them."

"Don't bow," I said. "It's fine."

She straightened. "I'm sorry for intruding."

"Not at all. I said you were welcome, right?" I offered a smile. She returned it hesitantly.

"It might be hard to break away from them. My debt should be paid by now. Somehow, they keep adding onto my debt so I can never leave."

"I think it's because they like you," I said. "You guys are like a family."

"That's why I'm worried," she said, blinking dully at me. Oh yeah, I see the concern shining in your eyes, Haruhi. "I think they really like you."

"….what?"

"Tamaki is already calling you his daughter…in his own way. Kyoya hasn't acted so interested in keeping anyone around before, much less someone who doesn't make him any money. The twins—well…I won't even go into that. And Honey seems to like you more than everyone else."

I think that's the most Haruhi has ever said to me.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"HARUHIIIII!" I heard Tamaki call from outside. "Hurry!"

She glanced over her shoulder then turned to me again.

"I have to go."

"What did you mean?" I repeated suspiciously.

"…he never clings to someone like that," she said. "Other than Mori, he avoids touching anyone outside of the club hours."

"So?"

She eyed me. "Good night, Yoshinda-san. I'll see you Monday," she bowed again and left. I watched her go, confused. Then I remembered that Honey was coming to tutor me tomorrow with Mori.

Oh, _great_.


	5. Sexual harassment in a library

I hated to admit it, but the kid was good.

Not that I doubted his skills. If I did, I wouldn't have asked him to tutor me. But unlike my last tutor he explained it kindly to me, wording it so that I understood it completely. Before I knew it I was doing the problems on my own. Once I finished them I proudly handed them to Honey, who was sitting across from me on the library desk I always did school work on.

As Honey checked the problems I glanced at Mori, who sat with us on a reading chair. He was close enough that I didn't have to talk loudly to converse with him. I mean, out of the host club, he seemed the least likely to do or say something that would piss me off or make me dislike him.

It was worth a shot to try to find out more about him. Pure curiosity.

"You can read, if you'd like," I said. He turned to me from where he had been staring into space.

"Ah?" he asked.

"Well, there are books everywhere. We have some nice collections, if you want to look."

He stared at me. I wiggled in my seat awkwardly.

"You don't _have_ to. I mean, it's fine to sit, I just thought you were bored."

"Hm," he said.

Sweat drop. "Man of many words, aren't you?"

He didn't answer.

I stared at him, studying his face. I couldn't help but notice that I really, really liked his eyes. Like the rest of him, they looked strong yet kind. Maybe the reason I had these stupid girly thoughts was because he didn't talk much, thus, he was good in my book. I didn't like people who talked more than they listened.

"It's okay," I smiled softly. "You don't have to answer me."

He turned his eyes to me and I stared into them, sensing that he wanted to say something. But he didn't. His lips didn't even twitch.

I snapped back to Honey when he announced that he was done grading.

"All of them are right," he said happily, flashing me a smile. "Good job Ku-chan!"

"Thanks," I said, used to the ugly nickname already. "And we already covered history. So we just need to work on science, then we're done."

"Mori, maybe you should go and call my mother," he said, turning to smile at Mori, who stood when he spoke. "Let her know I'll be another couple of hours."

"Hey! I'm not that stupid, it won't take that long!" I cried in mock hurt, reaching across the desk to hit at his arm. "Know-it-all."

He laughed at me. "Thanks Mori."

Mori hesitated but left, shutting the library doors behind us. I leaned back, somehow annoyed at myself for feeling comfortable around Honey. But, I guess he wasn't that bad…just a little too childish for me. It made make feel embarrassed that someone older than me acts like that. Somehow though, I could see why he had such a nice fan base. He had this strange appeal about him.

Whatever. I didn't really care; as long as he helped me raise my grades, I was fine.

I pulled out my science home work. "We're going over equations."

"That explains why science is a problem," Honey said. I laughed slightly.

"True," I agreed. He helped me finish it up pretty quickly. I guess since I understood my math I kind of was able to easily figure out the science as well. After we were done I put everything away and stood, stretching. Honey stood as well, bouncing over to stand on my side with me.

"Where's Mori?"

"I don't know," Honey admitted. "I hope he didn't get lost."

"Oh come on, how is that possible?" I asked with a small snicker. "If he gets lost we can call the police and send out a search party through the house."

Honey beamed at me. "You're funny, Ku-chan."

I stopped my chuckles. "Uh, thanks?" I wasn't, really. My humor was stupid and dry. But he seemed to enjoy my answer because he hugged me again. I awkwardly pat his head, glancing at the library doors longingly, waiting for Mori to burst through and save the day.

Well, you know what I mean.

"I really like you Ku-chan," he said.

"Um, I like you too, sort of…" I half-lied slowly, ceasing the awkward patting on his head.

"I really like you," he mumbled into my shirt. "You smell good."

"Uh…" I said, by then pretty freaked out.

I felt his small hands move down, fingers dancing along my hip, his cold fingertips pressed against my hot skin. I gasped, startled, and pushed him away; except, he didn't move. He stayed where he was, hugging me, his hands somewhere they shouldn't be. His fingers were running along my skin, stroking, and his breathing was a bit heavier than normal, hot breath hitting my stomach, where his cheek was pressed against.

I was too shocked to fight back. I merely stilled in mortification.

"I bet you taste good too," he hummed, tilting back his head to back to smile at me innocently. I heard a tiny 'snap!' echo through my ears and was about to explode when the door swung open. I shot my head, my face red and eyes ablaze with rage, to see Mori standing there, slightly out of breath.

"I got lost," he said darkly. He blinked a couple times at the scene he had barged into. I was sure it looked strange. Instead of being embarrassed I pointed at him.

"_You_," I howled at him. I took the same hand and smacked the top of Honey's head, "get this thing off me! Now!"

Honey pouted, hands going back to rest on top of my shirt and away from my hip innocently.

"But Ku-chan! You said hugging was allowed!"

"_That_ was _not_ hugging!" I cried, pushing him off me—this time he moved; the scary strength he had earlier seemed to be gone. "Thanks for the lesson. You really helped me out. But you need to go."

Mori walked up.

"Take this pervert home," I told him, glaring. "And how did you get lost?"

"Ah…" he said.

"You came back too soon!" Honey hissed at him as he climbed onto his shoulders. I twitched. So, they were in this together. Perverted cousins—how…fitting. I glared at them as I politely led them to the door and thanked them again before pretty much kicking them out.

And to think I have to go to the beach with them. Oh my _God._ But Honey was so small, and he seemed to only get bold when we were alone, so what's the use in firing him? He was a good tutor and I had to pass my classes. As long as I make sure Mori doesn't leave the room I should be fine. Ha! I'm so smart.

I was pretty tired so I decided to get to bed. But first, I stopped by the computer room connected above my own room, filled with file drawers and many computers. I went on the smallest one and quickly created a virus—one that would mail me all the information on it automatically as well as give me full access to everything Kyoya has on any computers with his name in it. Usually I spent a lot of time here, but lately, I've been neglecting my amazing hacker ways.

So I was a little rusty—it took me eight minutes to perfect the virus. I e-mailed it to him, for once thankful that this one annoying girl in my French class gave me their website since she thought I'd want to know more about them since I'm working with them now. So, anyway, I used the e-mail I found on the website I had hacked into and gotten their IP addresses and such. I attacked the virus to it so when he opened the mail, the virus would be released.

I laughed evilly for a good two seconds before I shut everything off and hurried to bed. I felt childish by pulling such a juvenile method of revenge, but he had it coming. Besides, I mentally threatened him with a virus too many times already. I had to live up to my threats—may they have been spoken or not.

I slept with a huge grin on my face.

* * *

BELATED WARNING: HONEY IS WAY OOC IN THIS CHAPTER FOR THE SAKE OF STUPID PLOT AND CHARACTER TWIST. :D  
Hurr. End warning. *bows*

Sorry for the long wait, and the short chapter. The next ones long, i swear!


	6. Florida & Revenge

"What the hell is this?" was the first thing to come out of my mouth on Monday morning.

Well, technically, the first thing to come out of my mouth this morning was "please take me to the circus Bob, I hate this place", but Bob didn't seem too fond of my idea. He took me here anyway.

The week had been normal. I continued to be blackmailed into flouncing around in that damn maid dress, serving everyone. Not to mention dealing with the annoying host club. Honey continued to tutor me but I made sure he didn't request Mori to leave and, if he did, I would say something like "I need a break, I'll go with you", or something like that. Honey didn't seem fazed at my escapes; he would merely happily agree and wait for my return. Sometimes he came with us. But I knew his true, evil ways! _I shall not keep my guard down! Byahaha!_

And Kyoya seemed to be having computer troubles after opening an e-mail from his father. Or, someone who he assumed was his father. Poor Kyoya. I wonder what's wrong?

But, anyway, the point was as I came to the host club that morning instead of classes (I tried to go to first period but my teacher told me that I was "not supposed to be here!" and pretty much kicked me out…weird…) I was met with a weird sight. More specifically, everyone was clad in outrageous beachwear.

Mori had this giant fruit hat on, Honey was wearing a grass skirt over his orange swim trunks, Tamaki was decked out in what looked like a Hawaiian king's attire, the twins were wearing blue trunks (matching, by the way) and one had on giant sunglasses that looked ridiculous on him. They both had big baskets full of towels and sunscreen. Only Haruhi, who actually wore a red one piece with a big white shirt over it, looked normal. I merely stared at them, making sure my face was as blank as Haruhi's.

I repeated myself; "What the hell is this?"

Tamaki heard me this time.

"PRINCESS! LOOK, I GOT YOUR SWIM SUIT!" he shoved a bag at me. I took it, annoyed, and peeked inside. I paled considerably.

"I am _not_ wearing this."

"WHAT! WHY? I PICKED IT OUT ESPECIALLY FOR YOU!" Tamaki seemed heart broken at my words.

"I hate two pieces," I said. "Why does Haruhi get a one piece?" I whined, stomping my foot in aggravation.

"How mature," Kyoya muttered sarcastically as he fiddled in irritation with his computer.

"Because I don't want any weirdoes eyeing my daughter!" Tamaki hugged Haruhi dramatically.

"And weirdoes can eye me?" I dared to inquire.

"Well—that's different! You know how to defend yourself. My dear daughter doesn't!"

Haruhi didn't seem too bothered and merely stood there silently. I growled in anger and threw the bag on the ground. I knew I was acting immaturely but did they _seriously_ expect me to wear that?

"I'm not going. And I'm not wearing this."

The twins, who were talking to each other lowly, looked at me with raised eyebrows.

Twin 1 asked, "Are you sure?"

Twin 2 decided to chime in. "Because you agreed last weekend. Are you one to go back on your word?"

"Can you afford a law suit?" Kyoya added dully without looking at me. "Wear the swim suit."

I went red. "Fine! Whatever!" I stormed into the changing rooms and angrily got into the suit. It was a two piece alright; I admit it wasn't that bad, but it still showed off all of my stomach and only hid my breasts, though it avoided any cleavage, thank god. It was a light blue and had strings I had to tie for the bottom of the suit. I took the blouse from my school uniform and slid it on, buttoning up for now.

I walked out, probably looking even angrier than before.

"Happy?"

"Very," Twin 2 said smugly.

"Let's go!" Tamaki cried happily, grabbing Haruhi's arm then mine as he dashed off. I was momentarily shocked at his super speed and looked around in confusion when we suddenly ended up on the roof. I paled when I noticed a giant friggin' helicopter on the roof awaiting us.

"Uh—"

"I get to sit next to Ku-chan!" Honey suddenly cut in happily. I grimaced as everyone appeared as well and began to crowd into the giant metal machine of death. I didn't dare tell anyone about my fear of planes (and yes, helicopters give me the same fear, if not worse) and put on a blank face as I followed them in, defeated in my fight against even going.

I ended up squeezed between Mori and Honey, right beside Kyoya and behind the rest of the club. The helicopter driver talked to Tamaki in the front before nodding as Tamaki took his seat happily and cried out, "HERE WE COME, BEACH!"

"We're going to Florida in a _helicopter_? Wouldn't a plane be better? And safer? And _legal_?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Psh, screw laws, we have money!" Twin 2 said.

_Stupid rich sonovabitches…_

Then we moved.

I shrieked quite loudly, despite my earlier attempts at keeping my irrational fear a secret. I shut my mouth tightly at the looks I received.

"Did you know that a giant hunk of metal full of people flying defies the laws of physics?" I asked curtly.

"No it doesn't," Twin 1 said. I glared at him.

"Metal shouldn't be airborne."

"Yoshinda-san…are you…sacred of heights?" Twin 2 asked evilly. My eye twitched.

"….noooo…" I looked away casually. "I'm just a scientist."

Haruhi sweat dropped. "Uh huh."

"I am! Planes crash! So do helicopters!" I said in hysteria. I dared to look out the window and paled when I realized we were actually flying through the air. The copter's wings or propellers—whatever they were called—were really loud. But thankfully we could still hear each other, somehow. That also sort of defied the laws of physics—er, well, you get what I mean.

"We—are—going—to—crash—" I gasped out.

"She's scared of heights," Twin 2 concluded.

"NO SHIT!" I screamed at him.

"Why didn't you mention it before we boarded?" Haruhi asked in concern.

"Like I'd tell you all my weakness!" I cried.

"Ouch," Kyoya deadpanned.

"Poor princess!" Tamaki looked distressed that he couldn't hug me. His 'hugging arms' sort of just flailed in my direction. "Are you okay! You need comfort right! We'll be there soon!"  
"No we won't! It's _Florida_!" I cried.

"But if we fly there, it'll take less time," Tamaki said.

"Shut up!" I randomly shouted. "Let me freak out in silence by myself!"

"Does Ku-chan need a hug?" Honey finally spoke, eyes glittering as he embraced me. Well that's great. Not only am I flying in a giant metal death trap, but a tiny cute little pervert was using it to feel me up. It's official. I hate Mondays.

I gave up and whined, sinking into my seat. Mori looked at me, eyes blank.

"Thanks for the concern," I said sarcastically when I caught his look. His lip twitched a little, I think.

"Ah…" he said.

"Your words are like warm sunshine," I continued bitterly.

"Hn…" he continued.

"Thank you, you're a great talker," I finished. He didn't make any noise this time. He sort of just watched me. Soon that got awkward so I looked away, still mentally freaking out and going through scenarios in my head of what would happen if we crashed. Which we probably would.

"Ku-chan, don't worry! If you sleep, we'll get there soon!" Honey sang happily.

"Yeah, and we stop a couple times! Then we can continue on!" Tamaki piped up cheerfully.

"We—stop?" I asked hopefully.

"For a moment," Tamaki grinned at me. "So don't be scared, princess, we'll be there soon!"

"In over 15 hours…" Haruhi muttered. I squealed.

"Haruhi!"

"Sorry," she apologized.

I sat there stiffly for a long time, eyes wide as I stared at the floor, refusing to look out the window. Eventually I closed my eyes and leaned back in my chair, counting sheep in an attempt to sleep. I was surprised when I actually fell asleep. I was even more surprised when I woke up in what seemed like moments later, my head resting comfortably on Mori's arm.

I surprised myself when I didn't move.

"Good morning," Tamaki suddenly said happily. "You slept for a long time. You must have been tired! Ah, princess, you have such a pretty sleeping face!"

Creepy.

"You slept through the pit stops," Haruhi decided to say. "We're boarding the jet now."

"A jet?" I asked, straightening. "Well, it's better than a helicopter, I'll give it that..."

So we boarded a jet, which I found pointless and strange. Rich people traveled very oddly, didn't they? With a sigh I made myself comfortable sitting across from Tamaki, Haruhi and the twins. Honey and Mori sat next to me, and I found myself trying to sleep again while Tamaki went around throwing fancy drinks and snacks at people. I still didn't see why we didn't just go on the jet first. Why the helicopter?

When I asked Haruhi this moments after boarding, she muttered, "Tamaki is one for theatrics."

I got that. After a while I found myself asleep, grateful for the change in setting; the inside of a plane was a lot more homely and comfortable than an open helicopter. When I woke up in what seemed like moments later, I found my head - once again - on Mori's broad shoulder.

"Man, you must be tired," Twin 2 observed when he saw me wake up.

"I'd rather sleep than deal with you people," I grumbled. I closed my eyes again with a manly grunt. Mori didn't seem too bothered at my use of his arm so I made use of it and cuddled into him (to get revenge on the whole set-up the first day of tutoring, that is) and tried to fall asleep again. I guess everyone assumed I was asleep because they had the nerve to talk about me.

"I'm glad she's sleeping," Twin 1 said.

"Yeah, she was annoying," Twin 2 mumbled.

"Not that!" Twin 1 said in annoyance. "She really looked freaked out about flying."

"Poor princess!" Tamaki decided to add.

"How much longer?" Haruhi asked.

Kyoya answered. "10 hours."

I stifled a groan. I slept a bit through the ride but woke up a couple times, usually freaking out and blabbing about statistics and different 'what if' stories. Eventually, though, when I fell asleep after hours of babble, I woke up in relief when I noticed the jet had landed. I was even more relieved when I saw a car waiting for us. Well, it was a limo, but still.

We boarded the limo and we drove to a giant beach house, right on the beach. I brought my bags (I only had two small ones) and Haruhi led me to our room. I tossed my bags on the bed and stretched dramatically. Haruhi silently watched me.

"Tamaki is going to make us swim," she said.

I rolled my eyes. "I guessed that much."

"Let's go."

"Yeah, okay," I sighed, kicking off my shoes and following her barefoot. We left the large house and saw that the other hosts were frolicking on the beach happily. Tamaki was splashing in the water with the twins, Kyoya was on the beach on his laptop under an umbrella (no joke), and Honey was in a giant see through float as he splashed Mori happily, giggling in glee.

"HARUHI!" Tamaki greeted. "PRINCESS! COME, JOIN US!"

I was about to refuse when I remembered that horrid word: Law Suit. I mutely slid out of my shirt and watched as Haruhi reluctantly entered the water, blankly watching as Tamaki rushed up to her and tried to get her to play with him. I hesitated at the water's edge, eyeing it wearily.

"What?" Twin 2 asked, suddenly popping up out of nowhere. He stood near the shore, dripping with water, a grin on his face. "Scared of water too?"

"No!" I snapped. "I'm just worried it'll be cold."

"Sure."

"Shut it!" I grumbled, slowly walking forward. It was surprisingly warm. "Hm. Not bad."

"Good," Twin 2 said, suddenly shooting me with a water gun. Where did that even come from! I gasped and spit our salt water as I glowered at him. He merely laughed maniacally and fled deeper into the ocean. Without thinking I lunged after him and ended up on his back, causing him to fall face first into the water.

I resurfaced with his water gun.

"WHO WANTS TO MESS WITH THIS!" I roared, holding up the water gun.

Twin 2 resurfaced, sputtering water. "Hey! No fair!"

I shot at him with the water gun and he fled to his other twin, who seemed to be dying of laughter. I grunted in triumph and turned, blinking when I looked up at tall Mori who stood right in front of me. At his side was Honey, still floating in that float.

"Let's play, Ku-chan!" Honey suggested happily.

"Uhh, no," I said.

"Wh—why not?" his lower lip trembled.

"Umm, because, because, ahh…" I looked around. My gaze went back to Mori. "I want to play with Mori! COME ON MORI!" I said, grabbing his arm and dragging him off. I took it upon myself to call him by his first name even though everyone else called me 'Yoshinda-san', and I wanted to keep it that way.

"Ah…" Mori looked at Honey in concern. Honey didn't look bothered though. He frowned a bit but then splashed off to play with Haruhi and Tamaki.

"Let's play 'pretend we're playing'," I suggested. Mori stared blankly at me. "Or, how about we talk?" More blank staring. "Or we could have a staring contest." More staring. I stared back, widening my eyes so I wouldn't blink. We stood there in the semi-shallow water staring at each other intently in silence for a while. Finally my eyes burned and I blinked hard.

"Aw, damn, you won!" I laughed slightly, slapping his bare chest. He continued to stare emotionlessly, despite my weird attempts at getting along, or something.

"Are you like…mute?"

"Hnn…" he said.

"Ah, I see, I see," I nodded my head. "And then what happened? Did you hit him?"

He smiled.

_Smiled._ At _me._

I stared at him in shock, mortified when I felt my face slowly heat up. He found me funny? _I_ didn't even find that joke funny.

"Y-You…" I gulped in air. "Um."

He stopped smiling, but his eyes kept the smile in them. I didn't realize until that moment how handsome he was. I found myself gawking at him, at a loss for words.

"It's getting cold," I settled on. "Want to—um—go inside?"

He looked up toward Honey.

"Oh, sorry, right, him," I said nervously. "I'll just go inside. Bye."  
I fled, still blushing like an idiot until was inside. I caught my breath and covered my face with my hands.

"The hell is _wrong_ with me?" I whimpered to myself. I got all flustered just because he smiled? I didn't even like any of the host club! Why did I act like a lovesick annoying fan girl because of one small _smile_?

"It's love," a voice said. I screamed, jumping in surprise before I spun toward the sudden voice, blinking rapidly. I relaxed then frowned when I recognized who it was.

"What, did you come to threaten me with a law suit again?"

"Fix my computer," he said. "I know you were the one who sent that virus."

"Aha!" I cackled. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I traced the virus."

I paled. "What! How? I have the best protection on this damn planet!"  
"I didn't trace it," he said, smirking. I stared at him in surprise then narrowed my eyes at him.

"Oh. You're good."

"Fix it."

"Whatever, fine, bring it over here," I grumbled.

I got to deleting the virus as Kyoya silently stood behind me. I didn't like the quiet, even though I didn't like my company either, so I dared to speak.

"What did you mean by love, anyway? I don't love anyone."

"Huh? Ah, that," he said slowly. "Nothing in particular."

He was really getting on my nerves. "No, really. Let me have it."

"I saw your little…exchange, with Mori."

"So?"

"It was painfully obvious how you felt," he said. "Even if no one else saw it."

"I'm not obvious! And I don't like Mori!"

"He's the only one you call by name," he said dully.

"I call Haruhi!"

"She's a girl."

I twitched. "There, it's fixed. Leave me alone."

"Tamaki wants you to come back outside."

"No way."

"You have no choice."

"Tell him I'm sick or something."

He stared at me. "Yoshinda-san, your debt is almost paid."

"Really?" I asked.

"Well…no, not really, but your presence is a hindrance."

Somehow, that stung. "Well, so-rry for being a hindrance."

"Stay with us for one more week," he said. "After that, you're free."

He saw my look and frowned. "What? I thought this is what you wanted? You hate us, right?"

"Of course I do!" I shouted, blushing again.

"Then shouldn't you be happy?" he said emotionlessly as he flipped open his laptop again and smirked when he saw it was indeed working.

"I—I'm totally happy! I was just surprised you're letting me off so easily."

He didn't answer at first. "Come back outside until dinner is ready."

I stared at him as he left. I felt my face burn from humiliation. First, he came in here and tricked me into revealing my little revenge trick. Then he told me I liked Mori—which was _so_ not even true—and then, to put a cherry on top of this shit sundae, he basically told me I was annoying and kicked me out.

Well, not 'kicked me out'. I want to leave that horrid place and everyone in it.

Somehow, though, I felt as if I had been slapped.

I had to stand in the large kitchen for a moment, wallowing in self-pity and silence before I collected myself enough to go outside again. Once I did I felt awkward. Everyone seemed happy without me; Haruhi was trying to get away from Tamaki, Kyoya was at his spot under that umbrella again, Mori was with Honey (who was splashing around giggling again as he shouted things to Haruhi and Tamaki) and the twins were messing with Haruhi as well.

And I was far away, silent, watching them with a weird feeling of loneliness.

Then I caught the alien emotion and, without thinking, shouted out to myself, "Stop it, Kasumi, damn it!" and whacked myself on the forehead. Which actually sort of hurt.

Kyoya heard my cries and turned, eyebrow rising. I glared at him and stalked to the beach, only to be stopped by him.

"Don't mention anything to them."  
"Don't mention what?" I asked.

"About my…suggestion."

I stared at him blankly. "Your wha—oh. That. Right, of course."

He eyed me. "Go, before Tamaki blows a casket."

"He looks fine without me," I muttered.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing!" I ran from Kyoya and stopped at the shore of the beach, hesitating before the water. I blinked when Twin 2 waded up to me, grinning slyly at my blank expression as I watched his approach.

"Where's my water gun?"

I blinked, looking over at the rock where I had led Mori. I sweat dropped.

"I think I dropped it."

"No bother, it was a cheap one," he waved his hand. "But now I have to use the old school method."

"Old…what?" I asked. I figured out what he meant too late. He grabbed my arm and yanked me toward him then spun, shoving me into the deep water. I shrieked as I fell forward and into the water, grimacing when I ended up gulping a mouthful of salt water. I resurfaced sputtering, glaring at him when I pushed wet hair from my eyes. Twin 2 was laughing hysterically, leaned over as he gripped his stomach and gasped for breath.

"Y-Your face…!" he giggled. My eyebrow twitched.

"Hikaru, stop bullying princess!" Tamaki scolded, walking up to us. "Princess, are you alright!" he offered his hand, purple eyes sparkling with emotion. I stared at it and slowly accepted it, allowing him to pull me up. He looked slightly surprised that I took it, which I understood. Usually I would have slapped it away.

"Anyway," he said after staring at me a bit. He walked out of the water and grabbed something from the bag, handing it to Kyoya with a grin. "Mommy, film the family's vacation! For memory's sake!"

Kyoya stared at the video camera blankly. "No."

"Think of the benefits," I said smugly, crossing my arms as I watched from the water. "You can sell it for profit."

"….." I saw him turn the camera on. I laughed and watched as he slowly lifted it up, flipping the small screen on the side to peer at it as he taped us. Tamaki happily returned to the water and began to tackle at Haruhi, who feebly tried to swim away. I watched it curiously, shooting pity from my eyes when Haruhi tried to cling to a rock as Tamaki pulled at her foot in an attempt to get her to play some sort of weird pool game with him.

"Ku-chan!" Honey swam up to me. "Where did you go!"

"Ah…I was cold," I said.

"Let's play!" he chirped. I was about to refuse when I caught Mori's gaze.

_It's love_, Kyoya's earlier words rang in my head. I felt my face grow warm and I nervously looked back to Honey, who was bouncing slightly in his float in excitement.

What the hell? It wasn't like he was going to do anything; anyway, there were too many people around. I shrugged.

"What should we play?"  
His eyes lit up. "Marco polo! Marco polo!"

I laughed. "Okay. Mori, want to play?" I asked as casually as I could without looking at him. He stared at me blankly.

"Hm."

"Yay! Takashi's gonna play too!" Honey cried happily. "I'll be marco!"

"Okay," I said. "Go and count."

Honey turned and closed his eyes as he counted to ten. I turned and swam toward the rocks Mori and I had retreated to earlier. It wasn't too far from Honey, so he would hear me if I called polo. Eventually Honey began searching, eyes shut as he called out, "marco!"

"Polo!" I said. I saw Mori not too far from me but he was silent. I swam up to him and whispered, "Mori, you have to say polo. That's cheating."

He shot me a dull look. "…"

"Do you even know how to play?"

He shook his head. I stifled laughter.

"When Honey says marco, say polo."

"…then he'd find me," he said. I stared at him, surprised. His first words to me; wow, how memorable.

"Well, the point is, you have to be quiet so that when he hears you and tries to find you with his eyes shut, you swim away until he says marco again."

Even though his face was blank I could almost feel his words: _That's a stupid game._

"Well, it may be stupid, but it's fun," I defended the pool game. "Ah crap! He's coming this way!" I laughed a bit as I tried to silently swim away, hiding behind a rock. Honey swam up, face scrunched in concentration as he called out marco again.

"Poooolo," I hissed, climbing onto a rock. Honey swam toward the rock, feeling around. Mori watched me and I put my finger to my lips, signaling to him, telling him to go. He mutely did so, walking the other way and alerting Honey with the splashing of water. When Honey hugged his arm and opened his eyes I slid back into the water and laughed.

"Wow Mori, you suck at this game."  
"Hnm," he said.

"I win!" Honey said in delight. We spent the rest of the hour fooling around. Apparently Hikaru found his water gun and this ended in an all-out war. At one point I stole the water gun again and began to shoot anyone who I saw, including poor innocent Haruhi. After an hour of all this useless horseplay a maid who I guess worked for whichever host owned the beach house came out.

"Dinner," she called. We all wrapped up in towels and headed inside, sitting at the table. As we ate I had to admit it was fun; everyone was doing their own thing, acting insane and generally being complete idiots. But it felt…nice. As much as I hated them all, I felt as if I was in one big huge family. Granted, an annoying family, but a family. And I kind of knew then why Haruhi stayed. Why she had that gentle look in her eyes when she talked about the host club.

They were a family.

A family I had intruded on.

The realization somewhat depressed me and I trudged to my room after dinner, angry at myself. It's only been two weeks and I already had these selfish thoughts, not to mention my opinion seemed to be changing. I hated them. Now, I had a weird affection for each host member. When the hell did _that_ happen?

I took a shower and got changed into my pajamas, headed to the guest bed next to Haruhi's. I saw her sitting up in the bed writing something. I sat next to her and peeked at whatever she was writing.

"What are you writing?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said, circling something on a map of the town near the beach. I 'hm'ed in understanding.

"Getting prepared to go out? I didn't take you for the shopping kind of girl."

She looked at me. "Tamaki's making us all go tomorrow."

"Oh."

"Yeah. He isn't that good at planning so I thought I'd do it," she said.

"Wouldn't Kyoya do that? He seems pretty organized."

"You'd think so but he can be lazy," she rolled her eyes for emphasis. I smiled at her.

"I know this sounds weird, but I…can't wait. I haven't been to Florida before."

"The few perks of knowing rich bastards," she mumbled. I laughed.

"Good night Haruhi," I said. She looked up at me and shut the tour book, putting it on the night stand as I shut off the lights.

"Right. Good night Yoshinda-san."

"Umm, Haruhi?" I asked in darkness as I tugged the warm covers over me, snuggling into the rather large bed. Her reply was instant.

"Yes?"

"Call me Kasumi, alright?"

Silence.

Then, quiet and almost shy, she said, "Alright, Kasumi-san."

"Drop the 'san'."

More silence.

I smiled when she sighed and said, "Good night Kasumi."

Content, I closed my eyes. "Good night Haruhi."

* * *

**IMPORTANT(ish) AUTHOR NOTE.**

Alright, so, people were just as freaked out about the previous chapter as I was. XD BUT IT AINT MAH FAULT REALLY. I always write everyone OOC, I'm sorry! I try, I really do, but it's sometimes hard to predict what the real characters would react and do and say.

Honey—well, I just wanted to make him OOC on purpose. I guess I overdid it. XD My friend likes PervyAggressiveHoney, so I did it to make her do this little shriek-squeak she does when she's very, very happy. Hahaha.

Don't worry, that's the worst of the OOC Honey. He's more….er, tame? Now. Hee-hee.

PS: I know the logic of the whole helicopter-jet thing was stupid and made no sense, but I didn't feel like making sense. Sue me. D: OH AND...time is irrelevant here. In my mind, it's still a day-time when they arrive even though it takes like, 15 hours to fly there. O: JUST IGNORE THE LOGIC. READ IT FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF READING IT.

I posted because I may not post another chapter for a while. I have a busy month coming up. I can't promise anything, but I _do_ promise that I'll try to post the next chapter soon.

Anyway, get ready for some random fluff and interaction next chapter—in Florida! :D


	7. Pet shop of horrors

It was official; Tamaki was totally a crazy tourist.

You know those tourists who went out of their country and took pictures of _everything_? The kind who talk to everyone even though they don't understand you? The kind who run around wanting to buy and do everything, even the stuff no locals even care about or want to do? Yeah, Tamaki was totally one of those tourists.

He ran around taking stupid pictures and Kyoya filmed us walking along the town. We had just finished lunch (compliments of rich and oddly giving Tamaki) and were going to start the shopping part of our trip. I had to order for everyone when we went for lunch and talk to the waiter in general, which seemed to impress Tamaki. He kept asking about it, like if I learned because I wanted to travel to America. I lied and told him I just wanted to know it.

In all honesty though, I secretly wanted to go to a technical school in America when I graduated. I didn't tell them that though.

"Kyoya, you don't need to film everything," I told him as we exited our first choice of shop. Tamaki had bought a lot of unnecessary souvenirs and everyone else had as well, which was strangely amusing.

"Yes he does!" Tamaki cut in dramatically. "We need every bit of what happens on this vacation!" he struck a pose. I sighed.

"Okay, whatever," I rolled my eyes.

"Yoshinda-san, you talk like a boy," Twin 1 observed, suddenly appearing on my left. The other appeared on my right, both using my shoulders as arm rests.

"Kaoru is right! If you didn't have long hair or breasts, we might mistake you for a—" I brought my hand up to sock Twin 2 in the face. He flew back and his brother caught him, causing a scene as he sobbed over his brother's body. I continued to walk briskly. Only Kyoya followed me.

"That was unnecessary."

"He called me a boy!"

"Did 'you're a boy' ever leave his mouth?"

I pressed my lips together in a thin line. "N-Not in so many words…" I admitted in a childish grumble.

"This is why you're a hindrance. Don't ruin the faces of the host club, Kasumi-san, or I might have to do more—"

"I'm sorry," I interrupted, "but did I give you permission to use my first name?"

He stared at me. "No."

"Then don't call me Kasumi."

"Fine, miss Kasumi."

"You did it again!" I spun to face him, pointing accusingly.

"…did I?"

"Don't play stupid!"

"I'm far from stupid."

"Wha—you're not making sense!" I sputtered, turning red. "Anyway, don't call me that!"

"I'll remember that, Kasumi."

I clenched my jaw. I spun to him with a sickly sweet smile. "I understand, _Kyoya._"

He didn't react. "Unlike you, I don't overreact over trivial things."

"I DON'T OVERREACT!"

"Was screaming really necessary?" he looked bored. I blinked in rage when I saw the camera was still on.

"Turn that thing off!"

"No."

"Wha—" I sputtered again.

"Hey!" I turned in rage to yell at whoever interrupted us but stopped when I saw Honey had called this, and he was resting on Mori's shoulders. I dusted myself off nervously and gave them a bored look. "You hurt Hikaru!"

"Did I?"

"Oh well," Honey didn't seem worried anymore. Strange kid. "Ku-chan! Can I walk with you?"

Mori let him down and the small blonde ran to me. I stifled the urge to roll my eyes. Even compared to _me_ he was short.

"As long as you don't grope me."

Kyoya's eyebrow rose and Honey laughed.

"You're funny, Ku-chan!" he grabbed my hand and I rolled my eyes this time as I continued walking. Kyoya followed behind and the others caught up soon after. Hikaru was rubbing his nose and Kaoru (I knew their names! I'll remember: Hikaru has a broken face, Kaoru doesn't! Aren't I good?) was comforting him.

"Was that necessary?" Haruhi asked me. I shrugged.

"He questioned my femininity."

"Ku-chan is feminine!" Honey decided to add.

"Thank you," I nodded briskly.

"_Very_," Honey said, thumb brushing my palm. Oh God, here we go again. This time I chose to ignore him and turned to Haruhi, lowering my voice.

"Is Kyoya always so sadistic?"

She blinked. "Hah?"

"I mean, he seemed to enjoy making me mad."

"….hmmm," she replied. I sweat dropped.

"Ah, what was that 'hmmm' for?"

"I was thinking."

"Don't 'hmmm' like that, it makes me nervous!"

She eyed me. "I think it's because you react to every little thing. It's easy to get you angry."

"No! I'm—" I stopped. "Oh. Shit. You're right."

"Still talks like a boy," I heard Hikaru mumbled behind me. Without looking I lifted a clenched fist and smirked when he let out a tiny yelp and fell silent. Oh yeah, don't mess with Kasumi, or else you'll walk away with a broken nose.

"See?" she mumbled. I laughed.

"I've always been short-tempered."

"Is that something to be proud of?" she rose her eyebrows. I puffed my chest out proudly.

"Psh, yeah! This way, everyone fears me. Which means no _perverts_," I shot Honey a look—I think he was the exception; the kid was tiny and cute, but holy shit, he was strong, "will bother me."

"Isn't dating hard?" Tamaki suddenly popped up behind me. I jumped, clinging to Honey (GOD HE WAS SHORT) and glaring at Tamaki.

"Dude! The hell! Don't just pop out of thin air like that!"

"I'll protect you Ku-chan!" Honey cried heroically, hugging me tightly. My eyebrow twitched and I pet his head awkwardly, managing to peel myself off him.

"Thanks but I'm fine."

"I'm sorry princess! I didn't mean to startle you!" Tamaki looked distressed.

"It's good," I said, lifting my hand. "And I don't need dating. This is only high school. Any dudes I meet here, I'll probably never see again."

"How sad," Tamaki was literally crying as his face appeared on my left, too close for comfort. "Princess! We must find you a mate!"

I sweat dropped—I seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "Uh, mate? No thanks."

"But princess needs a man in her life other than her king!" Tamaki hugged my head. I pushed him off.

"I'm fine thanks."

"Stop bothering her Tamaki," Haruhi sighed. Tamaki looked heart broken, sulking. The twins comforted him as they fell to the back of the group.

"Kyoya, turn that thing off!" I said, realizing he was still recording on that damn video camera.

"I'm afraid I cannot," he said.

"Why not!"

"Hmm. Why, I wonder?"

I twitched. Haruhi gave me a blank look and I contained my anger, merely whipping away from him and giving him a view of my 'I don't care anymore' back as I sauntered off with Haruhi.

Honey squeezed my hand. "Ku-chan, let's go to that store," he said in excitement, pointing to a pet shop. I blinked at him then the store.

"Uh, really?"

"PUPPIES!" Tamaki seemed to be miraculously revived as he dashed past us into the store.

"Why is there even a pet store in such a place?" Haruhi muttered.

"Who knows?" I shrugged as I reluctantly followed them into the store. You see, few things made me soften. Kids didn't make me soften, don't get me wrong, I hate those things. But animals—fluffy, big-eyed, cute animals—I melted into a puddle of goo. I didn't want _another_ of my secret weaknesses revealed to the club.

I vowed to keep it hidden. But I should've known it wouldn't work—just look at what happened with the whole helicopter thing.

But no, I went in there anyway.

One look at the puppy in the display circle (a little circle-cage-thing in the middle of the store where they let puppies out so people can play with them) and I melted.

Tamaki was already holding the small bundle of grey animal as it wiggled and barked, licking his face. The blonde 'king' was laughing and seemed to be enjoying himself. I didn't notice my reaction until Honey tugged my shirt.

"Ku-chan….your eyes are sparkling…" he said slowly.

"Ahhh?" I asked dreamily. "Isn't that puppy adorable!"

Honey stared at me. "Ku-chan?"

"I…I want…" I trembled. "CUUUUTE!" I swiped it from Tamaki and cuddled into its tiny happy face. It yipped gleefully and licked my face thoroughly as I laughed and spun on my toe all girly, cooing and kissing it. "You're so cwoot, yes you are," I rubbed my nose with his. I paused when I realized the usually-talkative host club was silent. I turned. Sweat drop.

"Sup?" I said.

"I didn't know you loved animals so much!" Tamaki seemed moved. "We share this in common! I also love cute things!"

"Uhh…" I said as the puppy wiggled some more and yipped, whining for attention. "This isn't what it looks like!" I held my hand out. "I was just testing for termites!"

"….if you're going to lie, lie better," Kyoya said from behind the video camera.

"TURN THAT DAMN THING OFF!" I shrieked. He smirked.

"Woof, woof!" the puppy whined. I turned my attention back to it and cuddled into it happily.

"If only uncle wasn't allergic…" I said in woe.

I looked up and saw Haruhi holding a bunny awkwardly, the twins apparently having given it to her, and Hikaru seemed to be enjoying the image of Haruhi holding a tiny white rabbit. I had to note that his cheek and nose were red. _Victory._

Kyoya was across the store filming a chattering Honey as he motioned excitedly, and Mori was standing behind Honey, staring with sparkling—yes, _sparkling_—eyes at the hamster cage. How cute. Mori liked hamsters. Somehow, it fit him.

I went back to the puppy.

"You really are cute," I cuddled some more, giggling and kissing him, eyes sparkling more. "I'm sorry, I can't take you home."

I sobbed dramatically. "Good bye, sweet puppy," I gently put him back in the cage, eyes wide when he jumped against it barking at me, whimpering every now and then. I bit my fist and turned slowly, closing my eyes.

"I—I'm so sorry!" I cried in sorrow, running off. Haruhi watched this and sweat dropped, following dully after handing Kaoru the rabbit.

"Kasumi…you're acting unusual."

"Those eyes…it was like he was saying _Why? Why Kasumi? Am I not good enough? Am I doomed to stay in this horrible pet store forever? Oh why! Why Kasumi!_" I bit my fist again. "Oh Haruhi!"

She sweat dropped again. "Kasumi…"

"Don't cry Ku-chan!" Honey hugged me from behind dramatically. "I'll comfort you!"

Haruhi chuckled slightly as I struggled to peel the strong kid off me.

"Let's go the beach again!" Tamaki suddenly suggested as he stalked past us out of the shop, arm in the air dramatically. God, he was so random.

"YAY!" Honey released me and ran to climb onto Mori. "BEACH!"

"Again?" I muttered.

"What? Are you having self image issues?" Kyoya asked. I twitched. Instead of yelling at him I followed Haruhi, eventually falling behind to walk beside Honey and Mori.

Honey looked delighted. Mori seemed unfazed.

"Ku-chan, the beach! The beach!" Honey cheered.

"I know, I know," I rolled my eyes. "I'm _soooo_ excited."

"I can't wait to see you in your suit again!" he giggled. I did a double take. "It shows off all the right places! Teehee!" I swear he giggled like Barbie. I gawked at him.

"Y-You…! I feel so violated!" I covered myself dramatically. "Mori, control your brother!"

"We're cousins," Mori said dully.

"W-Well then control your cousin!"

He smiled slightly. There it was again. My cheeks warmed and my heart pounded against my chest. Damn _it, stop smiling! You're making me act like an idiot. _I muttered to myself as I hurried ahead of them. I ended up between Haruhi and Tamaki.

"Yo," I greeted.

"Princess," Tamaki sighed with a smile, draping his arm around me. "I'm so glad you came with us!"

"Because I helped you order edible food?" I asked, eyebrow quirking.

"Well, yes, BUT THAT WASN'T WHAT I MEANT! I meant that I am so happy I get to share such memories with you!"

I blushed—was the damn Florida heat getting to me?—and muttered.

"Hm? What was it princess?" Tamaki asked, practically sparkling.

"I said…" I hesitated, remembering Sayomi's words: _you close yourself off._ Ugh, she was right and I hated her for it. "I said I'm glad too."

There was a collective gasp and I stopped walking, realizing everyone else had as well. I turned to face them, perplexed.

"What!"

"She said something nice to us!" Hikaru pointed at me as if I had just grown another head.

"I…" Tamaki trembled. "I'm so…ha-ha….HAPPPPPPY!"

"Aw, shit!" I cried as Tamaki lunged, embracing me dramatically and rubbing his cheek against mine, shouting about how he was so happy his princess 'opened up' and 'love us so much' and other crap I never even said. I rolled my eyes and managed to push him off me.

"This is why I don't say this stuff!"

"You seemed quite happy," Kyoya said. He was frowning, like always, but somehow he was annoying me so I decided to mess around with him. After all, his frown looked suspiciously like...

"Kyoya," I asked, "are you _pouting_?"

He shot his head up to glare at me.

"No."

"You so were!"

"I was not."

"Are you jealous? Do you want a hug too?" I began to laugh hysterically. "Aw, Kyoya, you're like a cat! A fat, greedy, snotty cat!"

His eye twitched. "I'm not a cat, _Kasumi_."

I stopped laughing. "Oh. I see. That's how we're gonna play this, huh?"

Haruhi put her hand on my shoulder with a sigh. "Kasumi, let's just go back to the house."

"Yeah!" Honey chimed in from Mori's shoulders, throwing his arms in the air. "Beach! Beach!"

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, let's go. Friggin' obsessed with the beach…" I muttered. I grimaced when I heard Kaoru whisper to Hikaru behind me.

"You're right, she _does_ talk like a boy."

"Oh Kaoru," I said sweetly, "do you want a broken nose?"

He shut his mouth. "No, Yoshinda-san."

"I thought so."

I turned back to look forward as we headed back to the beach house. When we got there everyone went to change and I lingered in the kitchen to get some water. I got a glass of water and chugged it, somewhat parched. I put the glass in sink and turned to leave. I suddenly sneezed when my hair fell into my face. I lifted my hand to rub my nose and blinked, smelling the scent of puppy from earlier. I inhaled deeply, squeaking slightly in glee.

"_What_ are you _doing_?"

I grimaced. I guess I wasn't alone in the kitchen. Apparently Kyoya didn't want to swim so he didn't go to his room to change. Thus, he saw my creepy hand-sniff. Nice.

"Uh, nooooooothing," I said, looking off to the side.

"You just sniffed your hand."

I noticed he didn't have the camera.

"It smelled like puppy…" I mumbled. "And I see you finally tired of recording everything."

"Ah," he flexed the hand that always held the brunt of the camera's weight. "My arm hurts."

"That's called karma, dear Kyoya."

"Hn."

"Oh, is kitty shy?" I asked smugly, turning to leave.

"I'm not a cat."

"You're so _easy_," I laughed as I dashed off to the room. I saw Haruhi just leaving and she nodded in greeting.

"We're going to swim for a couple hours. Everyone seems tired," she said. "Hikaru isn't coming though."

"Why?"

She gave me a strange look. "Kasumi, you punched him."

"Oh. Right. Maybe I should apologize for that."

She gave me the same look. "Yeah, maybe."

I watched her walk off and rolled my eyes. Why did everyone always make me do the right thing? Doing the wrong thing was a lot more fun, not to mention easier. But alas, Haruhi was right; I had to go talk to him. I kind of _did_ overreact. I guess I tend to do that.

I knocked on the door awkwardly, dreading what was to come. Kaoru opened the door a moment later, brows furrowing when he saw me.

"Aren't you going to swim?"

"Can I talk to Twin 2—I mean, uh, Hikaru?" I asked. His eyebrow rose.

"I was about to go out. Go ahead. Just…don't hit him again."

I scrunched my nose up at him. "Oh shut up. Go swim."

He brushed past me and I slowly entered, rolling my eyes when he dramatically groaned, holding an ice pack to his face. He seemed fine walking around ten minutes ago. What a drama queen.

He looked up when I stopped beside his bed.

"Ah, Yoshinda-san…" he coughed weakly. "So good to see you."

"Oh my gawd, you're an idiot," I rubbed my temple. "When you get punched, you don't cough. You don't have some sort of terminal illness."

He stared at me. "I'm sorry…why are you here?"

"Oh. Right. I came to…er," I shifted awkwardly. "Um, to apologize."

"Oh really?"

"God, don't make this harder for me than it already is."

He grinned. "Where's the fun in that?"

"I'm sorry, okay? I overreacted."

"I don't know," he sighed. "It could become permanent."

"IF IT LEAVES A SCAR I'LL MARRY YOU!"

He sweat dropped. "That's if girls get scars."

"Oh. Right."

He sighed. "I forgive you, I suppose. But I don't know if my fans will…oh dear, they're pretty vicious…" he said thoughtfully.

"Oh…you _wouldn't._"

"I would," he said with a challenging stare. We stared at each other heatedly for a few more moments before I caved in.

"Gyah, what do you want!" I growled out.

"Nothing much. I just want to play a game of doctor."

"You're sick."

"Why thank you."

So instead of swimming with the others I played doctor all night, tending to Hikaru and getting him food and drinks whenever he wanted them. When everyone returned Hikaru let me go, thank goodness, and I stalked back toward my room only to run into Mori in the hallway. I blinked up at him.

"Oh, hello, Mori!"

"Ah…" he nodded in greeting.

"Where's Honey?" I really hope he wasn't about to commit a sneak attack or something. Mori seemed distressed for a moment at my question but shook his head solemnly, as if to say, _I'm not too sure_.

"How was swimming?" I decided to ask.

"Fun," he replied. Oh, progress! He was talking to me using actual words.

"That's nice," I smiled at him. "I wish I was there."

"Hm…" he looked down at me. "Wish?"

"Hikaru made me play nurse," I explained. "Though I honestly think he deserved it for saying I wasn't feminine. I mean, I'm feminine!" I motioned at myself wildly.

He smiled slightly as if in agreement and I felt my ears burn.

"So…are you headed to bed?"

He nodded.

"Me too. I'll see you…tomorrow?" I felt like an idiot but I didn't have anything else to say. He nodded, turning and headed down the hall, disappearing behind a door set to the left. I watched him go and breathed out loudly before hurrying to my own room. I didn't understand why I felt so flustered. It was just Mori.

I was almost to my room when a hand suddenly shot out, grabbed my arm, and pulled me into a closet.

"Mph!" I managed to bark out, though it was muffled by a hand that suddenly covered my mouth. I began to struggle wildly, eyes wide and frantic as I twisted awkwardly in my captor's grip.

"Don't scream, for goodness sakes!" the voice hissed in my ear. I knew that voice. The hand moved away and I gasped out for breath, rubbing my mouth and spinning toward my captor accusingly.

"What the hell are you doing here, Sayomi!"

The ditzy brunette grinned at me. "Well, I know this must be pretty shocking—"

"Did you jump onto the bottom of the helicopter or something! How did you even get here—you live in Osaka! What about college!"

"I knew you'd spaz," she hummed thoughtfully. I grimaced.

"I'm just confused. Explain. Now."

"Well, some guy from the club paid for my flight here. I found out you went to Florida and pretty much threatened him before he finally caved in. I don't think they know I'm here yet…I'm ninja like that. It was so easy to sneak in. This house is huge!"

I gawked at her. "You're….incredible…"

"Why thank you!" she waved her hand at me shyly. "You're flattering."

"So no one knows you're here?"

"Nope."

"Oh, we can do so many things with this."

Sayomi returned my grin. "So many things," she agreed.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for the randomness. XD

Anyone have any ideas for how Sayomi and Kasumi can mess with everyone with Sayomi's unexpected arrival? If yes, leave one (or two) in a review! :D


	8. The Ghost of Christmas Past

Haruhi was having an interesting evening. But even when it seemed impossible for the night to get any stranger, it did just that—her night got so strange, in fact, that Haruhi (who has survived some _very_ absurd things) was somewhat caught off guard.

She was walking to her room, quite tired from their eventful day, when she heard a distant ominous "wooooh". Confused, she looked over her shoulder and stared down the empty hallway. With a curious sigh she continued on, blowing it off as the wind. But as she trekked down the endless halls she heard it again, but this time it was louder; "OOOOOOOWUUUUHUUU!"

Haruhi's eyebrow rose and she looked around once then continued walking. Then again (in obvious anger) she heard "I SAID WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DAMN IT!" Haruhi stopped walking and sighed heavily, turning around to voice her complaints (she assumed it was the twins) but blinked dully when she nearly crashed head-first into a looming white figure.

"Whoooo," the figure said eerily. "I am the ghost of Christmas past!"

Haruhi heard a sharp "Idiot!" to her far left (probably somewhere behind a wall…) followed by a yelp, then silence. The "ghost" turned its head towards Haruhi and cleared its throat. Haruhi merely stared blankly, unamused.

"I mean, whooo, I am the ghost that haunts this maaaansionnnn! I like to rape cute little crossdressers, 'cause I'm biiiiii-sexuuuuaaaallll~ AREN'T YOU SCAAARED?" she lifted her arms and wiggled her fingers.

"Nice pedicure," was Haruhi's reply.

"Oh, thanks! It cost me like, sixty bucks but it was so worth it, y'know?" the ghost squeaked, admiring its nails.

Haruhi heard the wall to her left cough angrily then the ghost snapped back to attention.

"YES. I AM A GHOST WITH EXCELLENT NAILS…"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEK!" a new voice cried. Haruhi looked up and saw Honey standing at the end of the hall, clinging to his bunny and shaking in fear.

"A GHOST!" he accused, pointing at the figure hysterically.

Calmly, Haruhi said, "Sempai…it's obviously somebody wearing a sheet…" she gave the ghost's bare feet a pointed look. But Honey was not deterred.

"MORIIIIIIIIII!" he wailed as he ran off. "TAMA-CHAN WAS RIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT! THIS PLACE _IS_ HAUNTED!"

_Of course Tamaki would tell Honey that_, Haruhi thought with an outward sigh. She blinked dully when the ghost began to whine for attention and, once Haruhi turned to give said ghost this attention, it straightened again.

"As I was saying—"

"I'LL SAVE YOU, HARUHI!" Kasumi suddenly cried as she flew out from behind the same wall Haruhi had heard suspicious noise coming from. Kasumi twisted mid-air and pulled an obviously-stolen-from-a-fighting-game kick (which was strangely easy, not to mention fitting, seeing how tiny Kasumi was) that connected with the ghost's shoulder. As they both tumbled to the floor Haruhi just shook her head, bemused yet disturbed by the whole situation.

"OW!" the ghost whined. "Kasuuuumi! That hurt!"

"Sorry," Kasumi apologized then jumped to her feet. "Don't worry Haruhi! I shall exorcise this ghost!"

At this, Kasumi grabbed the ghost's pale ankles and dragged it off as the ghost lifted both arms to keep the large white sheet on her body as it slid around. Haruhi watched them disappear around a corner with a disconnected expression on her face, silent. A minute or so after Haruhi brushed herself off and continued down the hall to her room, ready to sleep off the final cherry on top of her weird-as-hell sundae.

**

* * *

**

**X .KASUMI. X**

* * *

"Sayomi!" I scolded my friend as we ducked behind a hallway corner. Sayomi tugged the sheet off her and frowned at me. "You were waaaay too obvious! That's so you, getting side-tracked by your nails…"

"I _told_ you we should've done the fake-murder thing! I really wanted to play the murderer, too…" she whined, pouting childishly. I rolled my eyes and flicked her forehead.

"But this was easier. Besides, I don't wanna give them a heart attack…"

"Out of all the people we could have scared, it had to be Haruhi," Sayomi sighed in woe. "She saw right through me. She saw that I was—transparent~"

"DON'T START SINGING!" I yelped, slapping my hands over her mouth. She narrowed her eyes and liked my hand, snickering when I reeled back and squealed in repulsion as I wiped my hand on my knee rapidly.

"Whatever. We still have time to try again. Maybe we can sneak into Honey's room…" I chuckled darkly. "He seemed to be scared…fufufu, that pervert deserves it…"

"A'ight, lemme get into character," Sayomi agreed, sitting cross-legged on the ground as she mimicked a Buddha pose. I tried not to smirk as she began to "meditate" and contemplated just being a ghost myself when I heard noise to my right. Before I could react (or put the sheet over Sayomi to hide her) Tamaki appeared, walking down the hall casually with his gaze set on me.

"Kasumi! There you are! I heard there was a gho—"

He stopped dead cold, his whole body ceasing any movement as he stared in horror at Sayomi, who had scrambled up to her feet by then. After a moment of shocked silence Tamaki gawked and pointed quite rudely at her. We stood in the middle of the hall like deer caught in headlights, staring at him in surprise.

"Um," Sayomi finally said, "yo."

Tamaki resembled the 'Scream' panting. "YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!" he ran off sobbing. I sweat dropped and Sayomi giggled a bit evilly.

"Um. What _did_ you say to him to get here?" I asked, remembering Sayomi mention getting a host (obviously Tamaki, since nobody else could have fallen under Sayomi's er…charm?) to buy her tickets.

She put her finger to her lips and winked. "That, my dear, is secret."

"He obviously recognized you."

"Maybe he was just intimidated at my sexy aura," she sighed in woe and struck a pose. I shook my head at her.

"Sure, that was it."

"Ehh…he probably woke everyone…ruined our fun. Hmph, might as well sleep for now, come on," I led her to the room where Haruhi and I slept. Sayomi ended up sharing a bed with me and we got pretty comfortable. A bit too comfortable, I suppose, for when I woke up I found myself sprawled over Sayomi's stomach and she had her leg and arm dangling off the side of the bed, mouth open wide as drool fell from her lips. She was snoring, too.

Haruhi was waking me up.

"Oh, morning," I muttered a sleepy greeting. "What time is it?"

"Breakfast," Haruhi replied, eyes set on Sayomi. "Um. Who is this?"

"Oh," I jumped off Sayomi and stretched. I did a double take and widened my eyes. "OH MY GOSH!" I cried in horror, flinging myself at Haruhi. "I DON'T KNOW! A PERVERT? A RAPIST? EEEEK!" I shrieked.

Haruhi didn't look worried. I turned to stare at her then frowned when I realized she didn't believe my little act. So I pulled off of her and shrugged. "Well, you're no fun."

"Who is she?" Haruhi asked again.

I sighed and stretched again. "Sayomi. She snuck over here—she's a friend of mine."

"Ah," Haruhi said.

"Tamaki is terrified of her."

A mixture between amusement and confusion crossed her face. "Oh. Well, then," she said, then turned and headed out of the room. I shrugged and kicked Sayomi awake, informing her that it was time to eat. She insisted on showering first so I ended up waiting for her on the bed, braiding my hair until I ended up with a dorky-looking braid popping off the top of my head. I took it out when Sayomi came out of the bathroom and slid into some clothes. She followed me down to the dining hall, where everyone else sat.

When Tamaki saw Sayomi he pulled the 'Scream' pose again.

"Hello," Sayomi said.

"Who are you?" Honey didn't seem to remember her.

"I'm the ghost that haunts this place," Sayomi said spookily. "I eat little blonde boy's ears."

"Eek!" Honey cried, clinging to Mori, who sat next to him. Tamaki dropped his 'Scream' pose and shivered when Sayomi walked past him and sat next to me. I ended up sitting next to Kyoya, who seemed bored with all this—even his breakfast, which looked delicious, by the way.

"We leave today," Kyoya said.

"I thought we were staying all week?" I mumbled.

"Change of plans. Tamaki's father has urgent business."

Tamaki suddenly burst out through tears, "WAAAH! I WILL MISS THIS PLACE, AND THESE MEMORIES!"

Sayomi giggled. "Wow, is it like this everyday, Kasumi?"

"Every. Day."

"You must be suicidal."

I smiled at her bitterly. "Shut up Sayomi."

"I don't think I will!"

"I swear, I'll jump you," I threatened.

"With what?" she taunted. "Your hair pins?"

"I don't even wear hair pins!" I cried.

"Exactly."

"Don't try to confuse me," I said. The hosts watched our confusing bicker for a while as they ate until Sayomi spun toward Tamaki and pointed at him.

"I can hitch a ride with you right?" she suddenly asked. His soul tried to leave his body and he mechanically shook his head.

"I don't know if there is enough room…" he admitted. Sayomi's eyes glinted.

"**Make room**."

"YES MA'AM!" he shrieked, hiding under the table. The twins tried to coax the terrified king out from under the table as I laughed and gave Sayomi a high five. We ate and mostly watched Tamaki refuse to leave the table and, when he finally did, Sayomi threw her plate of eggs at him. Poor Tamaki had to be dragged to the bath by sheepish maids as he wailed about how 'the devil never looked so beautiful'. Sayomi, though, seemed flattered at his words.

"When do we leave?" Haruhi suddenly asked as we migrated outside.

"As soon as Tamaki is finished with his fit—and his bath," Kyoya said.

"Ah," Sayomi said. "So my flight was a waste. This sucks! I was planning on wreaking so much havoc," her lip trembled. The twins appeared at her sides and I rolled my eyes.

"We can aid you in your rampage," Hikaru the red-nosed twin suggested. "It sounds fun."

"I agree," Kaoru said. Sayomi sighed and smashed her palms into their faces, pushing them both away from her and licking her lips quite noisily.

"Dudes, personal space, first of all. Second of all," her grin returned. "HELL YES!"

They dashed off to the side to plot, leaving me all alone. _Some friend you are, Sayomi._ I looked at Kyoya, Mori, Honey, and Haruhi a bit awkwardly.

"So," I said. "This was…fun."

"Indeed," Haruhi didn't seem sincere.

"I had fun with Ku-chan!" Honey skipped up to me. "You look good in your suit!"

"Ha haaa," I said awkwardly.

"Didn't she Mori!" Honey hummed to the taller male innocently. I felt my face turn red when Mori made a low 'hmm' of agreement. He saw my blush and smiled at me. Haruhi watched with a quirked eyebrow, turning when maids began to file out and toss our bags into the limo near the side of the beach house. She turned back and I looked over at Sayomi and the twins plotting.

_I really hope Tamaki calms down soon_, I thought as Honey began to hug my arm and shout more things her had fun with on the vacation.

Eventually Tamaki appeared and we boarded the limo. Tamaki was smashed against the far end of the limo, up against the window, and Sayomi sat with me on the other side. She fell asleep instantly and so did Honey; his head ended up on my lap even though he was sitting in Mori's lap. I found it sort of cute, even if he was a perverted demon child. Mori kept smiling at me whenever I talked to him.

When we got to the plane I found myself oddly sleepy. I climbed into my seat on the helicopter and Sayomi opted to sit on my lap since there really was no room but then Honey piped up "I WANNA SIT WITH KU-CHAN!" Thus, through his big brown cute bunny eyes, he ended up on my lap snuggling with me.

And, like a tired idiot I am, I passed out almost instantly—probably my sleepiness combined with the immense fear of flight caused my knock out.

The flight back was boring. The only exciting thing that happened was when Sayomi threatened to throw Tamaki out of the helicopter if he called me princess one more time. Poor Tamaki sought comfort from Haruhi, who merely muttered, "You deserve it".

By the time we got back I was awake and nearly choking on needed air that I didn't seem to have. Once it landed on the roof of the school I leapt out, kissing the ground then spitting immediately.

"I was gonna say 'land, sweet land!' but man, that tastes nasty," I rubbed my mouth.

"You're funny, Kuuuuuu-chan," Honey hummed happily as we all followed a happy Tamaki into the school. It seemed we got back near the end of school so Tamaki got the twins to spread it around the school that the hosts were back and open; I made Sayomi go with them.

I followed the others to the third music room. Kyoya didn't seem interested in helping any of us unpack or settle back. The first thing he said was:

"Excuse me; I will be over there reviewing the tapes we have from the vacation." He motioned toward his usual secluded table in the corner of the room.

I blinked at him dully. "Wow, all business, aren't we?"

"I've always been like this," he pushed his glasses farther up his nose.

"I see. Need any help?"

"No," he said. I was surprised at the defensive, frantic snap in his tone. He cleared his throat and tried again, calmer this time, "I'm fine. And don't act so at home; you're only here for one more week—or, more specifically, two more days."

I tried to hide the hurt that must have flashed in my eyes. I guess I didn't do a good job because Tamaki gasped loudly and hugged me tightly with dramatic tears in his eyes.

"MY POOR PRINCESS! MOMMY, WHY WOULD YOU HURT OUR PRINCESS?"

He didn't reply; he merely slunk to his little corner. I hid my anger and merely pushed Tamaki off of me. I walked in the other direction, ready to leave, when Haruhi suddenly appeared at my side.

"Don't listen to him."

"He's right though. He's kicking me out," I said, trying to sound indifferent. "I only have two more days here."

"What?" she blinked at me. "Really? That's…strange."

"Why?"

"Well, he seemed so intent to keep you. He went as far to go to your house," she seemed genuinely perplexed. I shook my head.

"It's fine, I'm happy about it. I hate it here remember?"

"Do you?" she seemed passive again. I hesitated.

"Well, no," I admitted; quietly, so Tamaki wouldn't hear and spaz out on me. "I kind of like it here. It's sort of like I'm part of the family too. But whatever, it doesn't mean I'll cry myself to sleep every night missing them."

Haruhi tilted her heat at me. "Ah. Okay."

"Tell everyone I feel sick and won't be helping today," I said and left before she could respond. It was weird; it hasn't been very long yet I didn't hate the host club anymore. If anything, I felt like I had joined the family. But Kyoya kept reminding me this wasn't the case; I was merely their pet hamster. I worked to please them but then I would die soon and they would forget about me.

Somehow, the thought of that stung.

Not to mention my crappy metaphor.

I found Sayomi with the twins. She was between them, flipping her hair and cackling. They were on either side of her, Hikaru talking about something that obviously was making her laugh, while Kaoru was smiling and listening. I stopped walking and Sayomi saw me, perking instantly and rushed over to jump at me.

"Kasumi!"

"Hey," I said, patting her back. "Can you take me home?"

"Uh?" she pulled back. "Why?"

"I feel sick."

"Oh, okay," she seemed worried. She turned to the twins beaming. "I'll see you guys later, maybe. Bye!" she saluted them and dragged me off with her. We exited the school but she suddenly stopped, turning to me.

"Are you alright?"

I sighed. "I feel sick. Just take me home."

"Okay," she finally said after eyeing me some more. "Whatever you say."

She had apparently parked her car at the school, since the transportation Tamaki provided her was his own, and the drive was quiet. I lay my head against the cool window, eyes shut and mind elsewhere. I couldn't stop thinking about Kyoya; the words he said to me and how much they stung. But why did they hurt? It wasn't like he spoke for all of the host members. Besides, just because I didn't hate them as much as I used to, and felt kind of comfortable around them (eek, how weird is _that_?) didn't mean I was attached to them or anything.

I groaned. Over-thinking gave me a headache.

When we got back to my house I sat up and unbuckled my seat.

"Thanks for the ride," I said. She grinned at me.

"No problems. By the way, whatever is bothering you, just forget it. Your worry is all over your face and it's distracting."

I scrunched my face up. "I'm not worried, I just don't feel good."

"Rii-iight. Rest up, then," she waved at me as I jumped out of the car. I waved at her and went inside, instantly feeling better. Uncle had left on yet another trip, so the house was quiet when I returned. Even the help was off being all…quiet. It was pretty unsettling.

I yawned and flopped onto the couch in the TV room, flipping the TV on. I blankly watched some cheesy melodrama show, half-asleep. I must have been like that for a while because eventually I realized it was seven o'clock at night. I must have been pretty out of it. With a groan I turned the TV on and went into the kitchen and called out "Hey, anyone here?"

When nobody answered I went into the kitchen and was disturbed to see nobody was there—they usually worked until nine, and it was only seven. Weird. So I made my own easy-dinner and after I ate I went to my room, planning on calling uncle to see what was going on.

I was half-way there when a hand grabbed my wrist and a voice whispered in my ear, "Hey there, sexy."

Well, my first response was "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHA!" and I spun, brought my leg up, and kicked my attacker's knee. A loud grunt and the body behind me fell to the ground. I blinked away frantic stars and paled at what I saw.

"OH, SHIT! KANE!"

"Urrrgh, you bitch," he groaned, gripping his knee. "I was just messing with you."

"I'm sorry! I thought you were a rapist!" I said through laughter, helping him to his feet. Kane was a handsome guy (brown-black hair, brown eyes)—well, he _was_ related to me, after all. He was my cousin, to be specific; when he was little he stayed with us for a year while his parents adjusted to their new homes and jobs in America. Then he moved away and we only saw each other on holidays and some summers.

Let's just say he was the last person I expected to see.

"What're you _doing_ here?" I asked him.

"Well I heard Sayomi was here, soooo…"

"Ew," I said. "You wanted to try shacking her up again? How many times does she need to say no before you get it?" I said with a smirk. "I doubt that's really why you're here, though."

Kane shrugged. "Well, uncle was worried about leaving you alone so often. So when he heard I was in Japan for college-hunting, he called me. So here I am…oh, and I told everyone to go home early," he explained.

"So you could freak me out?" I muttered.

"Heh," was his reply.

"You're an ass."

"Weeell," he purred. "Were you going to bed?" he asked, glancing over at my bedroom door.

"Yeah, and?"

"Where will _I_ sleep?" he asked playfully, leaning on me. I pushed against him in irritation, my heel pressed on the wall to help steady myself. "A man needs his man rest."

"Man rest," I repeated dully.

"Yup."

"Dude, there are like, fifty guest rooms. Choose one," I rolled my eyes. "Night."

I left my whining cousin in the hall.

I made sure to lock my door behind me.

* * *

**A/N:** Special thanks to **Mysti-Reious** for giving me the "ghost"/"fake-murder" idea. XD (Yeah I did a third-POV with Haruhi for the beginning 'cause it's more interesting. Haha.)

And yaaaaay, a new characterrrr. O;

Sorry everything (the abrupt end of their trip, the appearance of Kane—) is happening so fast. I'm shoving some actual plot into this crack-filled story so…everything will make sense soon enough. XD

PS: the part where Sayomi goes "She saw that I was—transparent~" and Kasumi goes "DON'T START SINGING!" was referring to a song that has been stuck in my head for weeks called "Transparent" performed by Porcelain and the Tramps. It's a good song, check it out. :D

SPECIAL IMPORTANT NOTICE: I've been itching for some sort of fun trade-writing. As in..."I'll write you something, you write me something". ;D Sooo if anyone's interested in a one-shot exchange message me or e-mail me on yahoo at: parrotkai [AT] yahoo [DOT COM]. We can discuss details there. Thanks! This can be fun~ ;O


	9. A date with Kyoya?

When I woke up Kane's face was right in front of mine, breath (bad breath, mind you) blowing along my face. For a moment I just lay there, staring at him, then I swiftly brought my fist up and socked him hard enough to make him fly off the bed. He landed on the ground, his feet on the edge of my bed, and he groaned but then began to laugh.

"GIDDIT!" I yelled gibberish at him, jumping off of my bed so that I landed on his stomach. "YOU ASS HOLE!"

"Oooooowwww," he grimaced. "Dude, lay off the steak."

"Dude, lay off the onions," I retorted, digging my heel into his stomach. "Now, to make up for that traumatizing experience, make me some breakfast. I have school today."

I jumped off him and got ready, making sure to check if Kane was peeking on me or not. Believe it or not he used to do that all the time as kids. Perverted little boy, he was. I didn't even have _boobs_ back then.

When I was dressed and ready, I entered the dining room and saw Kane decked out in the chef uniform with a plate of eggs and ham mixed together on the table. He stood next to it in an over-dramatically curt pose, lips pursed like he ate a lemon and everything.

"Ze breakfeast, mon cher," he purred.

"Oh my gosh," I said with a cackle. "You're such a loser."

"It's my French voice," he whined. "I thought it was great!"

"Shut up, dude," I said with a shake of my head. Within moments the bowl was empty and Kane was gawking at me as I got my school bag together, my back to him.

"Dude, you've got some stomach."

"Dude, dude," I mocked him. "Shut up. I'm in a hurry."

"Man you are _nasty_ today," Kane said.

"I'm always nasty."

"Ah, true dat."

"Ew."

"What?"

"Don't say that ever again," I said, casting him a long threatening glance. I slung my bag over my shoulder and saluted him. "See you later, cuz."

He saluted me. "See ya later, cuzza. I'll be out huntin' ze elusive universities."

"Clean up the kitchen first," I said as I shut the front door behind me. I hopped into the limo, glad I actually had a good rest last night, and actually chatted up with Bob on the drive there. Once we got to Ouran I waved good bye and rushed inside the school, somewhat exhausted before school even began. It was strange; I felt good and rested, but the more I moved the more tired I got. Not just physically, but I kind of just felt…drained.

Herh, stop Kasumi, you're just stressed from over-thinking last night.

I spent the day doing work, distracting myself from any weird thoughts like the day before. But I couldn't help but laugh when I was walking to lunch and saw a random student buying a video tape from our vacation. I even saw a girl waving a photo of Tamaki running down the shore dramatically in his swim trunks. I snorted. I remembered how that happened; Tamaki was actually _posing_ as Honey took pictures. Then Honey got distracted and started taking pictures of rocks and little sand crabs.

"Ku-chan!" was the first voice that addressed me that day (other than my teachers) as I entered the club room. Honey launched himself at me, clinging to my waist. "Hello! Hello! Are you sleepy from the vacation?"

"Um, no," I said.

"Good!" he chirped. Weeeeird. He skipped off and I approached Kyoya.

"Hey, just wanted to say that I changed my mind," I said, putting my hands on my hips. His eyebrow rose. "I want to pay off the remainder of my debt."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. Give me time and I'll get the money."

"You two make it sound like some mafia get up," Haruhi observed.

"Maybe it is," I said. "Maybe Kyoya's been lying to you guys and he's really the son of the yakuza and he's handling a generation-bound debt to his family and in reality I'm an abused slave and this whole maid thing is just a front."

The only reply to my HI-larious joke was silence and odd stares.

"Right, well," Kyoya cleared his throat and turned to me. "I suppose this might be an easier means. I'll be waiting for the money."

"Until then, I'm not going to come here," I added. In an instant I had Honey attached to my leg wailing and Tamaki on my arm sobbing hysterically about being lonely or something. "Ergh, get off!" I cried, pushing at them in a sad attempt to pry them off. "Gawd, seriously, I've only known you guys for like…I don't even know!" I huffed and grunted with the effort – my GOD these guys are strong. "BATMAN!" I cried.

It was supposed to be the secret word to have the caped man swoop in and save me, but then I forgot he didn't exist, so instead I called out "MORIIII!"

I was surprise when he actually appeared and picked Honey up. Tamaki quickly detached himself from my arm and smiled sheepishly at Mori, and I just rubbed my aching arm with a heavy sigh.

"Uh, thanks," I said as I dangled in his arms. He gently set me down and I smiled shyly. "Wee-eell, I better get going and start collecting my debt."

"KASUMI, DON'T DO IT!" Tamaki suddenly cried. "_PROSTITUTION IS NOT THE ANSWER_!"

"….what?" I asked dully. "No! I'm not—oh my gosh, forget it, you're way too exhausting," I sighed as I rubbed my forehead. Before they could say anything else I left the room and the school soon after. Since I hadn't told Bob I would be skipping club, I was able to walk to town without any trouble. I even packed an overly-large sweater to pull on over my uniform so nobody would stare at the rich kid wandering the streets.

And that was how I found my job.

Yeah that's right, my first job. Ever. It was relatively easy; apparently I was cute enough to land a waitress job at some fluffy café, and I had to note that it seemed no different from my old 'job' at the host club. Still, at least here I got paid and didn't have to be surrounded by loud host-idiots. Yeah, it's a new word. "Host-idiots". I have to write that down…

"Alright Kasumi, when can you start?" my new boss asked me after our interview. She was nice enough. Pretty too.

"Tomorrow," I said.

She blinked. "So soon? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, of course," I said carelessly. "Just give me my schedule and I'll make it."

"Well alright," she said as she walked towards her desk. After a few moments she handed me a slip of paper with my week schedule. "See you tomorrow at four."

"Thanks," I said as I hurried out of the café in hopes of making it back to the school in time. Thankfully I did; right as I turned the corner Bob pulled up and saw me. He waved then looked confused, which made me smile a bit.

"Sorry," I said as I climbed into the backseat, "I had to get something right after club."

"Oh, I see."

When I got home I had forgotten about Kane. At least, until he pounced me as I entered the house. We both went crashing onto the floor with Kane clinging to me tightly, his face pressed against mine and his legs wrapped around my waist. I growled at him and tried to pry him off but he was too big.

"Kane!" I shouted. "Get off, fucking weirdo!"

He obeyed. "So mean~" he pouted. "I was just happy to see you! So happy, so happy, so happy!" he chanted as he rolled on the floor. I sweatdropped.

"Are you on crack?" I sniffed.

"NO!" he gasped dramatically. "But, well, I _did_ eat a whole cake and had two cans of Mr. Pibb…" he giggled a bit.

I paled. Kane on sugar was bad. Very bad. As a kid, his parents literally had to lock him up during Halloween and never had anything remotely sweet in their house. One drop of sugar and Kane was like a cocaine-tripping eight year old. Yeah, not a good thing.

"This is why your mother was so worried about letting you move out…" I groaned to myself. "Alright, that's it." I grabbed him by the back of the shirt and forced him into the bathroom. His eyes widened and he struggled with a girly wail as I turned the cold bath water on.

"THIS IS CHILD ABUSE! KASUMI NOOOO, SPARE ME, OH GOD, OH JESUS, OH BOB SAGET…"

"SHUT UP KANE, THIS IS YOUR OWN GODDAMN FAULT."

I turned the water off once the bath filled up and glared at Kane, who cowered against the wall whining. "Spare me, o great one," he whispered timidly as I approached him, "I am but a lowly servant, I do not deserve this punishment, oh my great—HOLY JESUS! GYAAAH!"

I shoved him into the tub, clothes and all. He landed roughly, his back hitting the wall, and he was instantly soaked. He began to tremble, teeth chattering and eyes wide as they looked at me in anguish.

"Now sit there," I ordered. "Usually the cold snaps you out of it."

As weird as it was, it was true. I learned this as a child when I offered some of my chocolate bar to Kane and he went insane, then his mom forced him into an ice-cold tub. He calmed down within ten minutes.

I was about to settle down and keep guard when the phone rang. Kane perked up.

"Better answer that," he said slyly. I nodded.

"I should. But first…" I grabbed my sweater and pulled it off, and tied his ankles together in a complicated knot I learned online as a kid (don't ask….those were some bad, messed up years). Kane gaped at me as I smiled smugly and marched out of the bathroom and picked up the phone.

"Yo."

"Kasumi?" the voice asked. I tried not to gasp. "Kasumi, it's me, Yamamoto."

"Oh, y-yeah, hi Mister Yamamoto," I said nervously. Yamamoto was Kane's father – he's an insanely rich, successful businessman and has spent most of his years trying to set me up with his many associates. Gross, I know, but he was determined to make his niece marry into wealth and uphold his lineage or something stupid like that.

Anyway, he never called me before. It was always letters and sudden men appearing asking me on a date. Of course, he hadn't set me up since my parent's died.

"Are we not past formalities?" he chuckled.

"Of course…"

"So Kane is there, is he?" he asked with a different tone.

"Yeah, he is."

"He's behaving well?"

"Yeah…he is."

"I'm sorry he's troubling you."

"Oh, it's not a problem at all! I mean, he's looking at colleges and all, and I'm sure once he gets accepted he'll move out or…" I stopped when I realized I was babbling. I heard him chuckle.

"Yes, I suppose so. I just wanted to express my gratitude."

"Oh…we're family. No need for that."

"That's nice to hear." We were both silent, an awkward gap suddenly befalling between us. After a moment he spoke again; "I want to offer some sort of payment plan for the troubles…I'm sure your uncle would be bothered with another mouth to feed."

My uncle was way too friendly to care about that, but I didn't say this. Apparently there was a lot of bad blood between both sides of our family. I didn't know the details, nor did I want to know, but I knew enough to be weary when treading on certain subjects.

Like this. I didn't want to argue.

"Well, maybe you should speak to uncle about that," I said. "Listen, I don't mean to be rude, but I have to go."

"Of course. You must be busy."

"Yeah…so—"

"Before you go," he said in a more dangerous tone, "I have to ask. Is it true you're in the Host Club at Ouran?"

I felt my face go hot. "Uh…yeah…I suppose."

"I'm a close associate with one of the boy's in that club. The Ootori family is very well-respected. I'm sure your club peer would be delighted to attend my banquet with you as his date."

Oh, he was _not_ doing this.

Setting me up with 30-something year old men was one thing. But with someone like Kyoya? He must have been crazy. Like I'd ever date – much less marry – someone like that! He was manipulative, rude, cold…nothing about him was attractive at all. Even one small date would definitely kill me. Seriously. I'm not exaggerating.

I would die a horrible, painful death.

"I'm not so sure," I blurt in an unintentionally-rude voice.

"Oh, but the Ootori family has already agreed," he said in an innocent voice. Bastard. "His son – Kyoya was it? – he has agreed to escort you."

"I never even got an invitation," I said in confused anger.

"Oh…you didn't? Strange. Well, you're coming right?"

Of course I was. I never missed his fancy parties, because uncle always made me go. Now would be no different. I just knew it. This was just ridiculous.

"Is Kane coming?" I asked.

Silence.

"Yes," he finally said reluctantly. "Now, I'll e-mail you the information since it seems the official invitation has gotten lost in the mail. Kyoya told me he'd pick you up an hour before the banquet begins. Now, I'll let you go, I seem to have kept you."

"Wait—" I squeaked right as the dial tone rang in my years. I gaped at the phone then angrily hung it up. Of course. This was fucking brilliant.

_I'm not surprised that Kyoya agreed. He knows I can't stand him, and that being his date would piss me off,_ I thought bitterly as I headed back to the bathroom, still fuming. _They're all bastards. Trying to set me up with Kyoya….urgh!_

I opened the bathroom door as I tried to mentally calm down, but when I saw the scene before my blood pressure rose sharply.

"OH MY GOD KANE WHAT DID YOU DO! TH-THERE'S WATER EVERYWHERE! AND MY SWEATER—YOU CHEWED IT APART? DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT _COST_! 20 BUCKS OF HARD-EARNED CASH! YOU BASTARD!"

"AAAARGH, KASUMI, NO, DON'T STRANGLE ME I—CAN'T—BREATHE—CHOKE…"

I could just tell this was going to be a _dandy_ week for me.

**

* * *

**

A/N:

Sorry I haven't updated in forever! My laptop had to be sent in for repairs. Also, school has been hectic. But here I am! XD

Yeah, kind of a short, random chapter. Mostly just introducing some information and stuff. Be ready for some fluff next time…XD


	10. Dress shopping, I think

"How many times have I told you; you can't insult the customers!"

I grimaced as I stood before my overwhelmingly tall instructor, a fellow employee who has worked here for two years, it seemed. He had been assigned to "take care" of me, since I was new. It was my first day and I had been doing fine until the customers started staring at my butt as I passed and touched me by "accident" every now and then. When they finally said something suggestive to me, I lashed out. It seemed that you couldn't insult your customers, even if they were perverts.

"Yes," I forced out. I couldn't lose this job. "Sorry."

"Did you apologize to them?"

"Yes," I grit out. It wasn't fun, but when I saw my instructor's reaction to my insults I instantly apologized. My pride was slowly disintegrating. First, I had a date with Kyoya coming up, and now this.

Which reminded me, I was stuck dress-shopping with my aunt this weekend…Yamamoto's wife was insistent in helping me shop for my banquet dress, though I only met her once as a kid. I only remembered one thing about her; she _loved_ dressing me up and doing make up. I sort of let her because I knew not to annoy her, because apparently she threw killer hissy fits when she didn't get her way.

So, yeah. Not a great week for me. School that day had been the usual, and I had managed to slip out before club began. None of the club members ran into me, thank goodness, and I managed to make it to work on time. My shift was almost over and I was only a _little_ ready to kill.

"Well," he was saying and I had to look at his name tag again because I forgot his name, "that's good. Your shift ends soon, so try not to upset any more customers, okay?"

"Right, _Hachi_," I said, proudly emphasizing his name. He gave me a blank stare then walked away, and I scurried off to two new arrivals. To my surprise, it was Kane and some girl I had never seen before.

"K-Kane?" I sputtered out.

He lit up. "See! I told you my cousin worked here."

"How did you know!" I yelped, forgetting that a pair of hawk eyes were on me (Hachiiiiii).

"Your schedule," he said with a stupid grin. "Oh, right, Kasumi, this is my date for the banquet, Rina." He put his hand on the girl's shoulder. She was pretty; her bright green eyes lit up when she smiled. She had soft curly brown hair and wore a dress suit, and looked older than Kane – but she still looked pretty.

"Nice to meet you," she said as she bowed. "I'm Honda Rina."

"Oh, yes," I said and bowed hastily. I squinted at her. "You seem really mature and nice…why are you dating Kane?"

"Heeey!" Kane complained. Rina giggled and put her hand over his gently. Much to my amusement Kane's face turned red.

"Actually, I'm only his date to the banquet. He wanted to talk with me today about his college choices...ah, I'm a friend of his father's. He thought it would be nice to meet up here so I could meet you."

"I see," I said. It made no sense, really, but I could tell Kane totally liked her. "Well, then, come with me. I'll get you two a great table."

I led them to the back and sat them down at a table near the window. They thanked me when I handed them menus and walked off after getting their drink orders. I returned and served them, impressed that they were actually talking about colleges. Kane looked so serious, totally unlike his usual goofy personality, and paid a lot of attention to what Rina said.

After I served them their food, I and cleaned up and clocked out, hasty to get out of there in time to make it home and take a shower.

I reeked of hard labor.

**x**

"Interesting."

I was, at that particular moment, slumped in front of the computer. It was Saturday afternoon and I was just out of the shower; I was dressed for the day, clad in denim sorts and an overly-baggy blue shirt. My hair was clipped back in a messy ponytail, my bangs pushed back out of my face with a headband, as usual.

I was, at that particular moment, chewing on my freshly-baked toast as I clicked on the chat room I had found out of boredom. My aunt was supposed to pick me up in an hour, and I usually spent my weekends wasting time doing random things…in this case, the internet. (Not just hacking shit, either, but actual websites.)

I had found, as a result of my boredom, an online chat room talking about Ouran. Weird, I know, and a bit creepy – but it was interesting to find people who wanted to talk about them as much as I did (negatively, I hoped).

**GGwhite**: I go to the public school nearby. i hate the way the girls look at me & my friends when we walk by.  
**Kewl**: ikr! My buddy was dating a chick there, and it turns out she nd her friends were dating 'poor ppl' as a new trend or something. It's sick.  
**GGwhite**: how terrible!  
**Kewl**: yeah.  
**Pyramidface**: that blows man. they are stuck up bitchez.  
**GGwhite**: yeah, and did you hear they had a 'host club'?  
**Kewl**: o god yes! Wtf is that!  
**Pyramidface**: they're so rich that they actually have a host club?  
**Kewl**: lol  
**GGwhite**: rich ppl can whore themselves on campus~  
**Kewl**: I think its cuz the host club leader is the chairman's son or something.  
**GGwhite**: how do u know that, Kewl?  
**Kewl**: uh, well, actually my dad teaches there.  
**GGwhite**: wooah!  
**Pyramidface**: dude….  
**Kewl**: I know. I dunno how he pulled it off, but he did…I didn't wanna change schools tho even tho he said I could go if I wanted to…  
**GGwhite**: intense. Lol.  
**Pyramidface**: I know a lot of rich ppl go there. Like, that Ootori kid? The hospital-chain son or w/e?

I was bored of reading their sob stories so I finally joined their conversation.

**Virus**: he's an ass.  
**GGwhite**: oh, welcome, Virus!  
**Pyramidface**: how do u know he's an ass?  
**Virus**: I go to Ouran.…anyway, he's a creepy jerk. I hate him.  
**GGwhite**: that's a strong thing to say, Virus…  
**Kewl**: yeah, but Virus is right. He seems like a real cold bastard.  
**Pyramidface**: well, he may seem like that, but the rest of the club members are just as weird.  
**Virus**: ohmyjesus. You have no idea.  
**Kewl**: lol XD  
**GGwhite**: you've met them all?  
**Virus**: Unfortunately.  
**GGwhite**: wow. If you hate the club that much and the school why do u go there?  
**Virus**: no choice.  
**Pyramidface**: a bit vague, Virus…mysterioussss wuuuuu~~  
**Virus**: shut up.  
**Kewl**: Pfff.  
**Virus**: Ugh, I have to go.  
**Kewl**: So soon? You brought us such entertainment….  
**GGwhite**: come join us again soon Virus! We'll be right here.

I signed off but, even though I found myself upset at doing so, I bookmarked the chat room page before I shut the computer off, grabbed my bag, and headed downstairs, where my aunt was waiting for me.

**x**

My aunt was a funny person. Although I wasn't very fond of her (she smelled like perfume and was _really_ loud), she was kind of funny in her own way. She liked to hit people when she was annoyed with them (that always had me laughing – once, she actually hit a CEO…gosh, see why I can't hate her?) and wore the oddest sparkly outfits. Yet, still, she liked pricey things. That was how I found myself being dragged from expensive store to expensive store.

"You look so cute!" she sang when I begrudgingly opened the changing room door and stepped out clad in a silky purple dress. She fluttered around me crooning then threw four more new dresses at me and urged me to try them on.

We had already gotten my shoes (black, "it matches _any_thing!") and decided on my hair (up-do, apparently), now all we needed was the most important part – the dress. And we had already spent two hours looking, but to no avail. I honestly didn't care what I wore so I decided to let her pick it out for me, but she was very picky. When I thought that she finally found "_the_ dress", she was suddenly fawning over four new ones. At this rate, it would take weeks to find one to satisfy her.

When we were at the twelfth store, I stepped out of the changing room in the tenth dress (for that store), which was actually an okay dress. It went to my knees and hugged my body comfortably, not too tight or loose, and it was a simple silver color. I opened my mouth to tell my aunt I actually liked this dress when I saw, out of the corner of my eye, familiar faces.

"Oh, fuck!" I yelped.

"AGH! LANGUAGE!" my aunt shrieked, her tone rising when I dove to hide behind her. She gave me a strange look and followed my gaze, confused, but recognition lit up her eyes when she saw who I was staring at in such horror.

"Oh, my! If it isn't Yuzuha-san! I have not seen you since the Christmas party!" she crowed, rushing toward this 'Yuzuha' woman (she was pretty, I give her that) as well as the two boys I had been trying to hide from. I gulped and went to slide back into the changing room, but aunt was there dragging me as well in an instant, despite my soft protests.

"Oh, Mika-san!" Yuzuha said in delight, giving her an air kiss on each cheek. "What are you doing here?"

"My niece is looking for a dress," she explained as she smiled proudly. I grimaced but waved meekly, avoiding eye contact with Hikaru and Kaoru. "Did you know, she's attending my husband's banquet with an Ootori?"

I grimaced again and dared to peek at the twins. They were grinning at me. Aw, shit. I looked away again and gulped, my throat suddenly dry. Damn, why was I so nervous?

"I can look for dresses while you catch up," I said to my aunt in a quiet voice, "I can just buy whatever I find when I'm done."

"Well, alright," she said in an unsure voice. It seemed speaking with Yuzuha was more tempting than helping me shop, thank goodness, and she turned her attention back to the pretty woman and I made my escape.

Unfortunately the twins were waiting for me when I made it back to my changing room.

"Are you two warlocks!" I yelped. Seriously, they moved _fast_. They only smiled at my words and leaned against the shut changing room door, closing off my escape – heck, my clothes were in there!

"You look very pretty," one said.

"Very," the other agreed. Geesh, I still couldn't tell them apart.

"Shut up and let me through," I gritted out.

"No way, let me soak it in," the first snickered. The second one nodded silently and they stared at me. I shifted, red in the face and _very_ uncomfortable.

"Do you want to be punched again?" I hissed out, clenching my fists. I made a mental note of what the one that flinched was wearing – that was Hikaru. Whoa, I am _smaaart_.

"So," the other – Kaoru – said slyly, "you're going on a date with Kyoya?"

I couldn't reply.

"Sounds fun!" Hikaru snickered. "You know, my mom mentioned the banquet. We might go. I'd love to see what you wear, and how you and Kyoya look as a cooooouple."

I scowled and they both laughed, as if it was the funniest thing they've ever said.

"Let me through," I said in exasperation. When they didn't move I shouted, "HEY LOOK! Haruhi is here trying on dresses!" They both glanced over and I shoved past them, stumbling into the changing room. I slammed the door shut with a grunt then hastily changed into my normal clothes before I left the changing room and stalked up to the register. I was _done_ shopping. This was the dress I was buying.

"Ah, you decided on that?" my aunt asked, suddenly at my side. With her was Hikaru, Kaoru, and their mom Yuzuha, who smiled at me.

"Pretty. Nice choice," she admired. I shrugged but startled when she grabbed the dress out of my hands and shook her head. "But I could make something better."

"Eh?" I asked dully.

"Oh, trust me!" she cackled. "Your aunt and I came to an agreement! She lets me drink all the wine at the party, and in return I make you a perfect hand-made dress!" She handed the dress to the nearest employee, who had stars in her eyes, then turned back to me. "Don't worry about a thing!"

"Erm, whaaaa…." I groaned in confusion. Does that mean I wasted a whole Saturday?

I felt my stomach drop when Hikaru and Kaoru grinned.

"Come on over to my house so I can get your measurements!" she offered happily.

Before I could refuse aunt pat my arm and said "Go on, she said she'd give you a ride home. I have to head back anyhow. Good luck!" she cooed and skipped off, seeming to giggle evilly (or maybe that was my imagination). I watched her go with my jaw dropped, stunned. So stunned, in fact, that I didn't notice I was being led to a limo outside until I was being pushed inside, squished between the twins, who were still grinning at me.

"Home!" Yuzuha instructed as she closed the door and joined us in the back, all smiles. "Oh, this will be fun! You're so pretty, Kasumi-san! I'm thinking a shorter dress would suit you better, to show off those pretty legs of yours…" she went on and on, much to my embarrassment. She seemed to tune us out and the twins both leaned towards me at the same time to murmur, "If that's the case, should we call the others?"

"Maybe invite Tamaki…"

"And Mori…"

"Honey, too…."

"Kyoya…he's your date, he should have a say…"

"Honey can help take the measurements…"

I paled with every word that left their stupid mouths.

"This'll be fun," Hikaru smiled slyly.

"Oh, I'm sure," I said in a straight voice when, inside, I was about ready to throttle their necks.

At the same. Fucking. Time.

* * *

**A/N: **I updated! :'D

Sorry it's not very eventful...or interesting...*sob*  
More filler...but somethings happening, since she's going to the twin's house, lol. XD Yeah I've been really sick lately, so sorry this isn't a great chapter. i promise, once i get over this whatever-virus my chapters will be better. XD


	11. In which the twins eat a puppy

"Do you need hel—"

"NO."

I was, at that moment, in a difficult predicament. I was pressed against the far corner of the wall where a flimsy (yes, _flimsy_) curtain prevented anybody from watching me change. The twin's mother had insisted I try on some of her new dresses after she took my measurements. She was gone, certainly to start on my dress (she didn't tell me anything – she just took my measurements and off she went). But, she left me with her sons and a pile of shiny bright expensive-looking dresses.

"Are you sure?" one of the twins asked through the curtain.

"Yeah, you're taking an awfully long time in there…"

"We could help."

I clenched my jaw. "Go away."

"Well, alright," one of them sighed.

"Yeah, we have to go greet Tamaki and the others anyway."

I froze. "WHAT? I THOUGHT YOU WERE KIDDING." Despite the fact I was only in my bra and the dress I had been forcing up my body only covered a little bit of my stomach, I ripped the curtains open in a flash of rage. "YOU HAD BETTER BE MESSING WITH ME."

"Oooh," they both said when they saw me.

"How bold," Hikaru said. Oh yeah, I still remembered his clothes. I'm getting better at this.

"Nice bra," Kaoru agreed.

"Black looks nice on you."

"Definitely."

"URGH!" I hissed as I yanked the dress far up enough to slip my arms through the thin sleeves. "THERE. Now, what the hell were you saying about Tamaki?"

"Oh, well, we invited Tamaki," Kaoru said.

Hikaru grinned. "Yup, yup, s'right. Sadly Haruhi couldn't come…Kyoya is busy…but Mori and Honey are coming! Honey because he seemed excited to see you, and Mori because Honey is coming. Fun, right?"

"Oh sweet lordddddd," I groaned as I face-palmed. "You two are pure evil."

"Thanks."

"Urk," I replied. "That wasn't supposed to be a compliment."

"We know," they hummed in unison. "Now," Kaoru said, "try on the other dresses. Unless you need our help…"

"No, thank you," I forced out with mock politeness. I returned behind the curtain and begrudgingly did as they said. I was in the last dress when I heard the door of the room open and close again, and several footsteps approached. I stepped out to investigate and grimaced at who I saw.

"OH MY GOSH, YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL!" Tamaki spazzed, opening his arms. I dodged his attempted hug and while he grew mushrooms in the corner, I glowered at the other guests. Mori was silent as always and Honey slid off his back to skip over towards me.

"KU-CHAN! You look so pretty!" he cooed.

I cleared my throat. "Aherm, thanks?"

"Mori, doesn't she look pretty?" Honey asked. Mori blinked at me and I smiled uneasily. He smiled a little and I was surprised when my heart didn't twist painfully like it used to. I mean, I still felt all fuzzy and warm, but it wasn't as extreme. Maybe it was the Florida heat getting to me, that other time…hum…

"Well, I tired them on. Can I go now?" I grumbled as I tugged the neck-line of the dress up to hide any potential cleavage shots. I didn't want to give any of those rich bastards the satisfaction of witnessing any further humiliation.

"Hmm, it'll take a while for mom to perfect the dress," Kaoru said thoughtfully.

"I suppose we can let you go…"

"Oh," I said in relief, "the demons have given this fair maiden mercy—"

"AFTER DINNER!" the twins sang in glee, appearing on either side of me. I opened my mouth to complain when their arms slid through mine and dragged me out of the room—still in my dress. The others followed closely behind.

"That's not fair!" I yelped. "And give me my clothes back! I don't want to walk around like this—I feel ridiculous!"

"You don't look ridiculous," Honey chirped innocently.

"Yes, I do."

"Nu-uh," he said in that cute way of his that had me cringing. I growled at him and gave up struggling, allowing the twins to drag me through various halls and down a flight of stairs. I swear, they do some dangerous shit. What if I fell? _They_ would be responsible for paying the hospital bills…

"Here, take a seat~" they sang in unison, practically pushing me into a chair. I had apparently zoned out as I imagined all the possible results of me falling down the stairs, and within that time I had arrived at their dinner table. I grunted as my butt hit the chair and pouted, crossing my arms angrily as the twins pranced around doing GOD knows what, and Mori and Honey sat on either side of me. I eyed them dully.

"Ehh, I expected Honey to sit in Mori's lap or something," I confessed. Honey beamed.

"That's funny, Ku-chan." He didn't seem all that amused, and I had to look away in fear he would melt my eyeballs with the stare he was giving me. Geesh, you'd think a kid would know when to give up on a girl…

"TIME TO EAT~" Hikaru randomly announced.

**Exactly 2.4 minutes later…**

"Kasumiiii, come out!" Hikaru whined as he pounded on the door.

"No!" I shouted as I lay in fetal position next to the toilet.

"Come on, it's not so bad!" Kaoru chimed in. (I might have gotten them confused, but whatever…)

"YOU BASTARDS!" was my reply.

"Awww, come on! Sorry!"

"Yeah, we didn't know our prank would get you so upset~"

"YES YOU DID! THAT'S WHY YOU DID IT!" I roared as I clenched my hands and growled at the floor. Why did they think putting a puppy (alive of course) on the table on a silver platter would be _funny? _Even as a joke, it's sick! The poor thing. It couldn't know they were trying to fuck with me, it probably really believed it would get eaten! The thought brought me to tears.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," they chimed at me.

"Shut up!"

"Kasumi, I need to pee, can you come out already?"

"Yeah, we need to pee!"

"Oh, Kaoru~ I meant by myself, you naughty boy."

"Hikaru!" he giggled. "You perv!"

I put my hands over my ears. "Oh good lord—just go away!"

"Buuuuuuut Kasumiiiii…."

"An innocent puppy, guys!" I wailed. "Why would you do that to a poor puppy? One minute he's being picked up in your arms, thinking 'oh, finally, I'm going to have a home!' The next, you break his little pure heart by putting him on a silver platter and presenting him at dinner!"

Silence.

"Well…that's true…"

"Awww I feel bad now." I heard their foosteps pound away but returned moments later. I perked up when a heard a sharp bark. "Look, he's fine! His tails wagging and everything."

"AWWW! He licked my face, ewwww!"

"Only _I_ can lick your face..."

"Hikaru, are you jealous of a dog?"

"Maybe."

"Oh you~"

I slammed open the bathroom door in a moment, eyes flashing a demonic red (at least I hoped they did). "Don't you _dare_ taint that poor puppy's innocent mind, you perverted homosexual freaks."

I stormed forward and took the puppy away from Hikaru, pulling him to my chest defensively. They both smiled at the same time and I scowled.

"You can keep him, if you want."

"WHA! You only bought him to play that prank on me!" I yelped. "That's cruel!"

"Well, we didn't think it through…"

"Yeah, we only kept imagining what your face would look like when you saw it…"

I frowned. "That's stupid."

"Ehhh," they shrugged at the same time with sheepish grins. Kaoru took the dog from me and handed it to a passing maid. "Could you give this guy a bath?" he asked, and the maid nodded and walked off. I raised my eyebrows.

"You're keeping him?"

"Eh," Kaoru shrugged. "I guess, since you don't want to bring him home."

"It's not that I don't want to, I can't!" I grumbled. "Hey…where's everyone else?"

"Trying to pick out a movie to watch," Hikaru said.

"Movie? What is this, a fucking slumber party?"

"Hey, we're your ride home. After the movie is when our guests leave," Hikaru said. Kaoru nodded in silent agreement. "Got it?"

I grimaced, but then a brilliant idea crossed my mind, and I didn't hold back my sly smile. I looked up at them innocently, all my earlier anger and irritation washed away.

"Okay," I smiled evilly, "let's watch a movie."

**x**

"_Ah…" his breath came in short gasps as his teacher pressed their groins together, rubbing and grinding sensually. Soft wet noises mingled with their gasps and moans as they clung to each other. The young student was leaning back on the desk, eyes half-lidded as his teacher attacked his neck with bites and kisses. _"_Senseeeeeiiii~" he moaned in ecstasy._

"Oooh," I sighed as I fanned myself, "is it getting hot in here or is it just me?" I turned with a sweet smile to face the pale, silent, gawking host club as they looked at the TV screen in horror. "I just love, love, _love_ Yamada-kun's gay pornos. So sweet! Unlike others, where it's all hardcore stuff. He takes on the roles with true romance, don't you guys think? OHOHOHOHO!" I cackled joyously as I took a content sip of my water.

The first one to snap out of it was, of course, Tamaki. "OH MY GOSH, WHAT IS THIS?" he wept as he dove to hide behind the couch. I could hear his soft sobs and his trembling body shook the couch.

I feigned concern. "What? You don't like this one? I have more!"

"Who carries movies like this in their bag?" I heard Tamaki whisper in horror. "No…more like, who carries movies like this at _all_?"

"Me."

"I can see that…" he whined.

I turned to see Honey had left with Mori, ignoring the movie as they played patty cake. No joke. Earlier, Honey had been crying and hiding in Mori's jacket during the movie, and Mori was as stoic as ever. Now they act as if nothing happened.

And the twins—

"Are you taking _notes_?" I asked in astonishment. Sure enough, both twins had notepads out and were scribbling down who-knows-what, occasionally glancing at the screen.

"Of course."

"We've never watched things like this, but it could help us improve our act…"

"Nice thinking, Kasumi-chan."

"Indeed. I'm impressed."

I blinked at them dully. I had to admit, I was also impressed. "Woooow," was all I could say. I turned to look back at the screen as the clothes of both males were taken off, and the hardcore stuff began. I snickered at Tamaki's horrified cries from behind the couch (just because he couldn't see it, didn't mean he couldn't hear it).

Well, my revenge for that puppy-prank failed. But, at least I scarred Tamaki. That thought brought a big grin to my face.

"What are you smiling about?" Kaoru asked suspiciously.

"The movie, obviously," Hikaru said matter-of-factly. "Kasumi-chan is a pervert."

"Oh, you know it," I snorted all manly-like, crossing my arms for effect. "Fuuuuck yeaaaaah! BRING ON THE BUTT SEX!"

It seemed I went a bit overboard, or at least I think so, judging from all the silent stares I was receiving. "Eheeeeeh…..a-anyway, I need to get home. Kane is waiting for me."

To my surprise they were on me in an instant. "Kane? Who's Kane?"

"Your husband?"

"Boyfriend?"

"Long lost brother?"

"The man holding you hostage?"

"KASUMI, ARE YOU A SEX SLAVE! OH GOOD HEAVENS, MY POOR BABBYYYYYYY!"

I rubbed my suddenly-throbbing forehead. "….I'm going home."

"DON'T GO HOME TO THAT MONSTER~~"

"Tamaki, shut up!" I snapped. "Kane is my cousin!"

Silence.

Then, "EWWW!" "OH GOD!" "THAT MAKES IT WORSE!"

"ARGH, HE'S NOT MY HUSBAND OR BOYFRIEND OR 'MATSER' OR WHATEVER, ALRIGHT?" I took a deep breath. "I can walk home, since you guys seem intent on messing around. Oh, can't forget my movie," I murmured as I approached the vivid image of two sexy, sweaty men going at it on the desk.

"Aaaaaahn!" the student wailed in bliss as I pressed the "STOP" button and put the DVD in my bag. I briskly walked towards the door, only to be stopped by the twins who magically appeared on either side of me.

"Wait, we'll take you home," Kaoru said.

"Yeah. We might be little devils, but we're still men. We can't let a girl walk home alone."

"Definitely not in a dress like that," Kaoru agreed. I blinked at him in bemusement. _Dress? What dress?_

I looked down and paled when I realized I was still wearing the dress from earlier. Why hadn't I noticed! I sighed heavily and, laughing his ass off, Hikaru got my old clothes. After I changed I was silent as everybody said good bye (Tamaki and Honey did this with hugs, Mori just nodded at me) then followed the twins outside to their limo.

I climbed in to sit between the twins again and we headed off home. Woopdeedo.

"So, Kasumi-chan, how's your job going?"

"Yeah, I was wondering that too. Tamaki is still convinced you're reverting to prostitution…"

"Haruhi can't even calm him down."

"Speaking of Haruhi," I cut in to change the subject, "Hikaru, how's your love life?"

I was met with blank stares.

"Oh come on, I'm not _blind_. I see the way you look at her. I don't blame you; Haruhi is a great person. She's genuine, not to mention ridiculously pretty." I sighed as if faced with a serious dilemma. "I mean, if _I_ were a guy I'd have jumped her by now. Once she comes out as a girl, all the guys will be fighting over her, y'know…if I was you, I'd hurry up and claim her…" I studied my nails casually, trying not to smirk.

It was too quiet for too long, so I looked up. Kaoru was looking out the window awkwardly and Hikaru was staring at me with a frightening look on his face. It was a weird mix of angry and embarrassed, and a little bit accusing. I cleared my throat and glanced outside, relieved to recognize the streets. We were almost home. Greeeat.

"Uh, meaning, whip out that charm and win her over?" I offered pathetically. Hikaru suddenly glared and looked away. "Ooooh, I hit a nerve," I muttered.

It was silent the rest of the ride and I admittedly felt a little guilty. It wasn't cool to hit below the belt like that…still, after what those twins have put me through, I wouldn't say I was the bad guy in this situation. Well, not completely, anyway.

When we reached my house I thanked them awkwardly and stepped out of the limo as Kaoru held open the door for me.

"When my mom finishes your dress, I'll let you know," Kaoru said.

"Er, right, thanks."

"Don't worry, it'll be done before the banquet."

"Right," I said. "Thanks…."

"Oh, and about Hikaru…" he said as he lowered his voice and leaned towards me. "Don't take it to heart. He's always like that when it comes to Haruhi."

I snorted. "He needs to man up and do something about it."

"Yeah, well, if you knew Hikaru like I do…"

"I'd hang myself," I muttered. Kaoru smiled a bit and we said our final farewells. I ran my fingers through my hair as I stepped inside, not all that surprised when I was met with dark silence. I got ready for bed and ended up in the kitchen after deciding on a snack before bed. It wasn't until I was leaving did I nearly trip over something in the darkness of the foyer.

"Eck!" I squealed as I tried to steady myself. "Uhhh, Kane?"

Kane was on the floor hunched over playing legos, building what appeared to be a large castle.

"….what are you doing?"

"Building a castle," he muttered.

"…..uh…..why are you building a castle in the middle of the foyer?"

"….'cause…."

"…..because….?" I urged, feeling a bit concerned. Kane was never all distant and gloomy like this. Something obviously happened. "C'mon Kane, it's late. Let's get to bed."

"Can't," he said vaguely. "I'm building a castle."

"Yeah, I got that."

"A CASTLE WHERE RINA-SAN AND I CAN GET MARRIED AND HAVE SEX AND LIVE HAPPILY AND HAVE A MILLION LITTLE FUCKING GORGEOUS BABIES AND HAVE MORE SEX!" he suddenly wailed as he collapsed onto his castle in hysterics.

I took a big step back. "Whooooa…."

"Rina is getting married!" he blubbered. "MARRIED! WHYYYYY? AND IF THAT ISN'T BAD ENOUGH, SO AM I! TO SOME CHICK I DON'T KNOW! WHY DOES MY DAD HATE ME?"

"Because you're a man-child?"

He turned to glare at me. I held my hands up in surrender. "Okay, sorry, sorry, I agree, that was in bad taste. Listen…" I kneeled down and forced him to sit up straight. "Does Rina like you back?" He hesitated and shrugged. "Well…talk to her, then. If she likes you too you can work something out."

"WE CAN RUN AWAY!"

"Uh, not exactly….just try talking first, alright?" I sighed. Gosh, I sucked at this advice thing. "Now get your ass to bed and stop being creepy."

"Fine," he mumbled. "Will you help me pick up my legos?"

I smiled, stood, and kicked down the remainder of his castle before I marched off to bed, my smile growing when I heard Kane's gasp from behind me, followed by; "AAAAH YOU BITCH!"

* * *

**A/N:** OH GOSH I UPDATED. *collective gasps of shock*

Annnyway. This chapter has a bit more going on, though not plot-wise. I'll try to wiggle in some Kasumi/Kyoya moments soon though~

ALSO...I need to ask...what pairing do you guys prefer? Kasumi/Mori or Kasumi/Kyoya? Just wondering. :) Thanks, love ya! R&R!


	12. The amusement park & romance trouble

"134…135…aw shit, you gotta be kiddin' me!"

I glowered at the piece of paper clutched in my hands, as if it might magically change the money in my account. I had been working for a while now, and this was all I earned. As if that wasn't bad enough the banquet was tomorrow night, my dress was all ready and in my closet, and Kane was still brooding about his lost love.

And…I'm broke. How the hell was I supposed to pay Kyoya back with this pathetic pay? I talked so big yet I barely have enough to even begin to assume I could pay him back before the year ends.

"Kasumiii," Kane said with a dead look on his face. "You're talking like a gangster."

"Shut up Kane."

"Sob…" he said as he sunk against the couch. "Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-chan…." he moaned. "She doesn't return my feelings and she's engaged….why? Why does God hate meeeee?"

I threw the closest pen to me, smirking when it hit its target; Kane's head.

"Stop whining."

"Ouch!"

"Oh suck it up, it's only a pen."

"It _hurt_!"

"Baby."

He blinked and went back to whining, so I took my paper and went to another room. Really…things had not been good for me lately. Crappy job, a debt to a stupid club, a banquet I didn't want to go to with a guy I didn't want to go with, Kane acting like a baby, uncle gone on another trip…what else? Oh, yeah, also, Sayomi was sick so she couldn't cheer me up.

Life was suck-ish. Very suck-ish.

"I need to do something for myself," I decided out loud, slamming the paper on the nearest table dramatically. "I know! I'll go find some punching bags on the street!" I declared victoriously, pumping my fist.

"…Kasumi-chan, you scare me…" I heard from my right. I turned to the voice in surprise and scoffed when I saw Kane slumped on the floor, a teary expression on his face. "Don't do that. Let's do something together today! We both need happiness!"

"Sorry, you're sort of a downer…"

"KASUMIIIII!" he wailed in agony, lunging forward to cling to my legs hysterically. "Pleeeease!"

I shook my leg and groaned. "Oh, fine, whatever! What do you wanna do?" I murmured, rubbing my cheek in annoyance. "And don't you dare say anything that would make me slap you."

"Well damn. How about we….uh…." he scrunched his face up in thought.

"How about we GO TO AN AMUSEMENT PARK!" I decided randomly in excitement.

Kane lit up. "FUCK YEAH!"

"FUUUUCK YYYEEEAAAHHH!" I said with equal glee.

"YEEEEAAAH!"

"YYYYYEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"YYYEEEEEEEAAAAHHHHH HAAAAAAHUUUUUURRRAAA."

"We should stop screaming at each other like manly men and go already," I decided.

Kane nodded. "Yeah, probably a good idea."

**X**

That was how Kane and I ended up at the amusement park on a sunny afternoon, both in bad moods but eager to change them into good moods. Kane had changed out his 'sulking clothes' and into a shirt and jeans, and I had just grabbed a jacket to pull over my shorts and tank top. We were both ready for a day in the sun.

I slid on my sunglasses and tried to look cool as I handed the guard at the gate my ticket. Kane did the same, arms crossed as he glowered at the guard from behind his sunglasses, one hand stretching out to hand him his ticket as well.

He ripped off the bottoms and handed them back. "Have fun."

"Oh, we will," I grunted.

"Fuck yeah we will," Kane agreed as we stalked past him like sexy mofos.

"Dude, we're so cool," I said.

"Hell yeah we are."

"People are staring. They're _so_ impressed at how awesome we are."

"You know it."

"They want to be us."

"Mmmm yeah."

"They want to _sex_ us up."

"Oh hell yeah they do."

"They want to—"

"Ku-chan!" a voice cheered from behind me. I froze, my whole body going cold. Just when Kane and I were cheering up, this just had to happen. I mean really, first Hikaru and Kaoru find me at a store, now this? Was the host club stalking me or something? That's just creepy.

"Who's that?" Kane asked as we both turned at the same time to face Honey as he ran towards us as full speed, Mori following closely behind.

"Oh, shi—" I began as I stepped back to run, but Honey was too fast. He lunged at me with his arms outstretched, embracing me eagerly and shoving his face against my boobs. I'm not even kidding; the kid actually _pressed his cheek on my chest._

Kane's eyes bulged out of his head and he made this retarded "PFFF" noise of wet laughter.

"Hi," I deadpanned as I peeled him off of me. I looked up at Mori and felt myself relax. "Hi," I said again with a small smile.

He nodded at me and Honey looked at me with wide, sparkly eyes. "Ku-chan, Ku-chan, you came to the park too! It's so fun, isn't it! Have you ridden the Pirate Ship ride yet? It was soooo fun! We can go on it together! No, no, we should go on the Ferris wheel!"

"The Ferris wheel is so romantic," Kane sighed deeply as he pushed his sunglasses to rest on top of his head. "You can have your very first kiss there, _Ku-chan_." The bastard. Wipe that smug look off your face.

His words made Honey light up. "Yeah! Ferris wheel, Ferris wheel!" he cheered.

"Sorry, kid, but I'm here with my cousin," I said as I jabbed my thumb in Kane's direction. "We're trying to kill our angst and be happy bitches, so, yeah, go away. You're kind of ruining it."

Honey beamed. "I can cheer you up, Ku-chan!"

"I highly doubt that."

"No, really, watch!" he said in determination. He took a step back and started making funny faces, completely serious. I watched him with a blank look on my face, disbelief rendering me speechless.

"HAHAHAHA!" Kane bellowed. "FUNNY FACES! LOL!"

Of course _Kane_ would think it was funny.

I looked at Mori as Kane cheered Honey on who, encouraged, continued to make faces. Mori was watching Honey with his usual stoic, protective expression. But when he felt my eyes he turned his gaze to meet mine and I smiled a little.

"So, you took Honey here?" I asked. "That's nice."

"Hmm," he replied.

"It's hard to believe he's older than me. He acts like a kid. I'm not that surprised that he'd spend his free time at an amusement park."

Mori nodded.

I suddenly felt uncomfortable so I walked over to Honey and Kane.

"Let's go ride the roller coaster," I told Kane as I pointed at said ride. "Maybe we'll catch up with you guys later," I told Mori and Honey with a wave. Before Honey could complain I dragged Kane into the line, allowing myself to be swallowed by the crowd. Once we got comfortable in line Kane turned to me and made that stupid "PFFF" noise again.

"And who was that?"

"Nobody…" I grumbled vaguely.

"Liar. Tell me, tell me!" he chanted.

"Nobody!" I snapped. "Just some classmates!"

"The blonde kid didn't look old enough to be a classmate…"

"He's older than me," I said dully. At his stunned face I shrugged. "I know, I know. I was shocked too."

"Dude, he is _way_ behind on puberty. Mother nature must have forgotten about him."

I snorted in laughter. "Yeah, you got that right."

We chatted mindlessly until we were in front of the line then climbed onto the roller coaster. Kane screamed like a girl when we jerked down the hill, and I just threw my hands in the air with a crazed "YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEAH BABEEEEEEH!" which made Kane scream louder, for some reason.

As we got off the ride I pointed and laughed at Kane's white face.

"Thanks for the concern," he said dully.

"Yeah, I know," I snickered. "I'm so sensitive."

"Yeah, well—ah, I have a text," he said in surprise, pulling his cell phone out. He squinted at the screen and his expression, once relaxed and obviously content, changed into an oddly-calm expression.

"Kane?" I asked quietly. "You okay? Is it Rina-san?"

He nodded.

"What did she say?"

He opened then closed his mouth. "She said to pick her up for the banquet tomorrow an hour early. She wants to get some dinner first." He smiled sadly. "She said she hates the food they serve at those parties."

Oh, great.

"Hey, buck up!" I said as I slapped his back lightly. "At least she's still going to the banquet with you."

"I…I don't think that's going to happen. I can't face her," he mumbled. "I mean she _rejected _me. She doesn't like me the way I like her. Not only that, my fiancée is flying in from France next week…I have to prepare…"

"Oh shut up!" I shouted. "Stop sulking already! Man up, be honest with the girl already, and tell your dad you don't want to marry this other French chick!"

He stared at me, stunned. "Wha…but—"

"Just go, now!" I said as I shoved him away. "For all you know, Rina-san could actually like you and just have rejected you to save herself the emotional distress. You'll never know if you don't talk to her."

"Gee, you suck at this encouraging thing," Kane mumbled, but then he smiled. "Thanks though. I'll ask her to meet me at the café and we'll talk….besides, we still need to go over my college stuff…"

"Then go!" I said.

"Fine! Goodness," he huffed as he walked off, texting rapidly on his phone. I decided to leave him be and walked off, slipping my sunglasses on again as I tried to decide what to do. Well, now that Kane was solving his love troubles I had time to kill. And I still needed to cheer myself up. I was sort of starting to get depressed about the lack of money and the banquet tomorrow night.

"Hey," a voice said, "why do you look so down?"

I turned to face a guy I've never seen before. He stood by the cotton candy stand with another guy; they looked pretty shady. The one who called out to me had these 80-style sunglasses and had a bandanna wrapped around his head, and his shorts were _way_ too low around his waist. The other guy just had a shaved head and scary-looking eyes.

I've read about this sort of scenario before.

The girl is upset about something and gets hit on by some shady-looking guys. They grab her arms she shouts "No, let me go!" dramatically and then in comes the sexy love interest, kicking/punching the guy and rescuing the girl, who has stars in her eyes as she breathes "Oh…thank you…."

Yeah, _not_ gonna happen.

I quickened my pace and grimaced when they followed, appearing on either side of me.

"Hey, don't ignore us," Bald said with a pout. Ew, gross.

"Yeah, we're worried 'bout ya," the other snickered. "Did you get dumped or something?"

"No."

"Well you're pretty cute," Bandanna said with a lazy smile, draping his arm over my shoulder. "We can comfort you, if you want."

_Calm down, Kasumi. Use your techniques. Count down to calm yourself; you can't hit these sleaze balls in public….you'll get kicked out._ I took a breath and said "No thanks."

"Oh come on, you're so cute; don't leave us hanging."

1.

"We could go play somewhere else…"

2.

"Yeah, we're lots of fun, hehehe."

3.

"Ya sing karaoke? We could buy you a drink…a sweet little high school girl like you must be crazy when drunk, huh?"

4.

"Aw, c'mon, don't ignore us!"

"Heh heh, yeah, babe. Don't look so angry!"

5—

OH FUCK THIS.

I ducked, kicked Bandanna in the shin, elbowed Bald in the face, and ran off with my arms in the air like a crazy person. I almost screamed, too. I was _that_ pissed. I mean really, what kind of guy hangs around an amusement park to pick up random girls?

I mean really—

"OUCH!" I cried as I tripped over nothing, landing flat on my face. "….ugh….so not cool…I'm so lame…" I grumbled in the dirt, slowly sitting up and rubbing my face free of the mud. "Gosh…today really sucks…"

"Ku-chan," a voice said. I turned to face Honey, who gazed at me in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Where did _you_ come from!" I yelped.

"Over thereeee," Honey said without moving. He kneeled down in front of me and offered his hand. Against my better judgment I accepted it, standing up along with Honey. I offered him an awkward smile. "Were those guys bothering you?"

"Er, yeah…"

"Hee hee, I saw Ku-chan's kick and elbow-punch! You looked so cool!" he said in excitement. I shrugged but pulled my glasses down over my eyes and struck a casual cool pose.

"Hn. Not big deal."

"Kyaaa, so cool!" Honey giggled.

I smirked and ruffled his hair. "Yeh know kid, you aint so bad," I said in English with a bad New York accent. Then, reverting back to Japanese, I said, "Still wanna ride the Ferris wheel? I was thinking about riding it before I went home."

Honey lit up. "Yeah! Yeah! Ferris wheel!" he cheered. I know, it was stupid to ask him that, but he wasn't acting as weird as he usually did. Besides, he said I was cool…cool…heehee, I'm _cool_…

"Oh, right," I said suddenly as Honey led me towards the Ferris wheel by my hand, "where did Mori go?"

"Oh, I told him I was gonna talk to you while he got us some snacks," he said with a smile. "Don't worry."

"Right…" I said.

The line to the Ferris wheel was short so we got on quickly. I kept my sunglasses on and made these casually-cool poses as I leaned against the side of the cart, resting my elbow on the rail with my head resting on my hand, head turned to gaze outside. Oh, yeah. So cool.

"So, Ku-chan!" Honey said brightly, moving from the seat across from me to the seat right next to me. "Why were you so sad?"

"I wasn't sad."

"You _were_ sad."

"Uh," I said awkwardly, "it was nothing, really."

He frowned but gave up. "If you say so…" he sighed. We were both quiet as we gazed outside and I had to admit it looked really nice from up here. I relaxed and decided maybe Honey wasn't so bad after all.

Well, that was until I felt a hand on my thigh and a face near mine.

The cart shook with my jerky movement, shoving him away. "Hey, hey, hey, hey!" I crowed. "Goodness! What are you doing! We were having a bonding moment and you just had to go ruin it!"

He blinked innocently. "But I just wanted to comfort you…"

"No," I said.

"B-But…"

"No," I said again. "Just give up already."

Insert awkward pause here.

"Give up on whaaaaat?" he asked sweetly. Oh dear lord…this kid was infuriating.

"OH LOOK!" I shouted. "THE RIDE IS OVER!" I jumped out of the Ferris wheel once the door opened and didn't wait up for Honey. He called my name but I ignored him, practically running for the exit.

Today was a veeeeeeeeeery suck-ish day, indeed.

**x**

"Kasumi, dear," the voice on the other side of the phone said, "are you okay? You sound odd."

"M'fine," I muttered then cleared my throat. "Have you seen Kane?"

My aunt sighed. "I'm afraid not. I swear, that son of mine is so stubborn…he hasn't called for a week. Is he doing alright?"

"Well, we separated a couple hours ago and I haven't spoken to him since. I'm sure he's fine, though," I explained comfortingly. "Maybe you could try his cell phone."

"Ah, I suppose…oh, right! I called you for a reason!"

"Hm?"

"The dress! I want to see it on you!" she squealed. "I know I'll see it at the banquet tomorrow night but I'm just so excited! Can I come over?"

I stifled a groan. "I'm sorry, I'm really tired. I'm gonna hit the hay early…"

"Oh, I understand. You must sleep and rest up for the banquet! Ah, are you excited about dating Ootori-kun?"

Oh. Right. Kyoya. Dear gaaaawd. Thanks for reminding me, dear aunt of mine.

"Suuuure," I said.

"Don't sound so irritated, dear! The Ootoris are a very well-respected family. You're lucky such a fine, handsome young man is taking you."

_I wouldn't call it lucky…_

"Well, if Kane contacts you, let me know, alright?" she asked.

"I will."

"I'll see you tomorrow night! I'm looking forward to seeing your dress!"

"Thanks. Bye."

I hung up and sighed, slumping against the counter. This was so exhausting. But, well, I couldn't run away anymore – my date with Kyoya was tomorrow night, whether I liked it or not. Tomorrow is definitely going to be much worse than today was.

Muuuuuuuuuch suckier.

* * *

**A/N:** Update update update D:  
lol sorry it took so long I've been _so_ busy. Another filler. I'm sorry. DX  
But the next chapter is Kasumi's date with Kyoya! :D Omg are you excited! lol.  
well, review! see ya next time! c:


	13. Champagne and a kiss of death

"Kasumi-san."

"Ootori-_kuuuun_."

We had our gazes locked as if we were about to jump into battle. Kyoya had this twisted smile on his face and I had a more blatant scowl on mine, arms crossed tightly. I didn't understand why he had to pick me up to go to a banquet at my _uncle's_ home…but whatever; he would do whatever the hell he wanted.

"You look lovely," he said. Yeah, like I'd believe that. Though I had to admit Mrs. Hitachiin certainly knew what she was doing. I mean, even _I_ thought I looked hot. Hell yeah, boys are gonna stare at _this_ booty all night.

"Sure, sure, you look…" I paused for dramatic effect and eyed him, as if I seriously just noticed he was wearing a suit. I mean, yeah sure, he looked nice and all. But like hell I'd admit it. "…decent. I won't be embarrassed to be seen with you," I sniffed. Kyoya smirked, amused at my underhanded insult, and offered his arm.

"What?" he asked when he saw my expression. "I'm not going to toss you onto the floor." He rolled his eyes.

"Fine, whatever," I snapped as I hesitantly accepted the offered arm. He led me to the limo waiting for us and held the door open for me (what a _gentleman_) before he also sat down on the other side of me. We hadn't been driving for more than a few minutes before he spoke again.

"So, Mrs. Hitachiin made that dress?"

"What of it?" I grumbled.

"Nothing…I wouldn't expect any less. She could make even a hairy gorilla look charming in one of her dresses," Kyoya stated simply, as if he totally didn't just compare me to a gorilla.

I turned to glare at him. "I am much prettier than a damned gorilla, ass hole!"

He smiled calmly. "I apologize; did I offend you?"

"Hell yes you—!" I sputtered into silence, realizing that he _wanted_ to piss me off. He always did. So, being as cool and awesome as I am, I just smiled in return and relaxed, kicking back and turning away from him. "Nope."

"Really."

"Really."

He didn't say anything else, and I tried not to smirk. After a moment I said, "I could say the same about you."

"Hm?"

"That suit," I said in a mockingly sweet voice, motioning to his formal wear. "I've seen something like it on a monkey; you're just as handsome!"

"Such an original _compliment_."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Oh, I'm not suggesting anything."

"You definitely are."

"I'm sorry, but when did you become an expert on other people?"

"The day I met you, four-eyes."

"Four…eyes?"

"You heard me. Creepy-ass bastard."

Silence. I glared at the window, arms crossed childishly, turned away from him. I lost my earlier cool…what was it about that Ootori that got under my skin and drove me over the edge so easily? It was infuriating.

After another bout of silence Kyoya said, in a hilariously calm and serious voice, "Did you just call me 'creepy'?"

I turned to face him, against my better judgment. "You deaf?"

"You have trouble with grammar?" Kyoya retorted, eyebrow rising as a smile crossed his face. I blushed.

"Shut up. And yeah, you _are_ creepy. The way your glasses glint all evilly like that…creeeeepy. It's like, creeper trait number one," I explained heatedly. Kyoya looked at me in—was that _amusement_ in his eyes? What was so amusing about this!

"I see."

"D-Don't do that!"

"Do what?"

"Act all calm and stuff!" I accused. "Like…you're all collected and cool and argh, you piss me off so much!" I tried to resist clawing at my hair. Not after I spent all of thirty minutes curling it. Yeah, only thirty minutes. The Ootori didn't deserve any longer than that. Hmph.

"Cool?"

"I didn't mean it as a compliment, stupid!" I yelped at his sly little smile. I was about to go on when the limo stopped and we were alerted that we were there. Kyoya, still grinning that creepy grin of his, left the car and opened my door. I didn't look at him as I stepped out, nearly toppling over on my heels. Damn this. I need some alcohol. Who cares if I'm underage? I know how to get the stuff.

With Kyoya's presence there at my side, I'd need all the alcohol I can get.

**x**

Congratulations, Kasumi! You're drunk!

Yes, that's right; I, Kasumi, am totally drunk. Well, who could blame me? Once we came inside my aunt and uncle cooed all over us (well, my aunt mostly, but uncle was unusually bubbly and eager) and I got so sick of it that I snuck the first glass of champagne I could get a hold of. It didn't do much at first and Kyoya still wouldn't leave my side, though he did mingle with people he obviously knew and those he didn't. He always kept close to me though, which struck me as strange. Sure we came together but it didn't mean we needed to _stay_ together.

So I drank. And drank. And drank some more.

Honestly, I had never had so much alcohol in my life. That's the extent of how much I couldn't stand being here with Kyoya.

So, within hours I was wobbling around giggling at nothing, trying not to fall over. I noticed Kyoya following my movement at a distance, talking with random people while keeping a good close distance between us. He thinks he's so smooth. Like I wouldn't notice. _Stalker._

I didn't do much. I just pretended there was more liquid in my glass and drank the air, acting as casual and sober as I could. Kyoya didn't approach me but kept looking at me. Once, we locked eyes and I stuck my tongue out at him. He only shook his head and rolled his eyes, which was just as childish as sticking out your tongue, so whatever (er…isn't it?).

When midnight rolled around things got interesting. Some handsome Prince (well, he wasn't a Prince but I was so wasted at the time all I could think was "Prince") walked up to me. He wore a white suit which would look retarded on anyone else, but he pulled it off. He had bright blonde hair that reminded of Tamaki's, and dreamy blue eyes that were focused completely on me. I looked at him blankly as I sipped my invisible champagne, leaned on the wall trying not to lurch forward and run off. Well…something about him creeped me out. Even drunk I had the feeling.

"Bonjur," he purred.

"Bon…jam…" I tried to echo, stunned to find my tongue wouldn't obey. Oh, alcohol, you silly thing you!

He laughed warmly and leaned against the wall next to me. "I am Domino. Well, that is not my real name but everyone calls me that." He grinned at his own words and said, "And _you_…are stunning."

"Stunning?" I repeated dully.

"Yes. Even from across the room I could see this," he said in a hilariously thick French accent. He spoke in English, though, and my drunken mind had a bit trouble comprehending it. But most of it came naturally, so I got the gist of what he was saying.

"Well…" I opened then closed my mouth, humming in thought. "You're pretty, too, I guess." I burst into immature giggles. He grinned at the compliment and ran his fingers through his hair and I had to point it out; "If Tamaki met ya…there'd be an epic…battle…of French Princes…but Tamaki would lose…'cause he's an idiot who doesn't even know French er English so…yeah…" Wow, I managed to speak _that_ much without trialing off and completely forgetting how to express my thoughts. Nice. Go Drunk-Kasumiiii.

"I see," he said with a smile. "May I call you Kasumi? I know the Japanese are not fond of this, but…"

"SURE BUDDY!" I crowed in delight, slapping his back – but, I sort of missed and slapped at air. "Call me whatever the hell ya want!"

"How about 'beautiful'?"

I giggled.

"Or…flower?"

I giggled some more.

"Or maybe butterfly," he continued grandly, sliding his big hands on top of mine, gripping lightly yet firmly. "The butterfly of my heart, or something like that," he teased with a sweet little French smile. I giggled more and good lord, I never giggled, but that alcohol was strong in my system.

We talked (if you wanted to call it that) for an hour or so, against that wall with my empty glass resting uselessly in my hand. I eventually put it aside and let the French guy named Domino to shower me with praise and attention. If I were sober, I would probably have hit him in the face by then. But whatever, he was saying some pretty awesome things and it was better than having to deal with Kyoya.

By the way, Kyoya was…not there. Huh. When did he leave?

"…mi. Kasumi?"

I snapped out of it and grinned. "Hm?"

"I asked if you'd like some fresh air. You seem flushed."

"Er, sure. M'not flushed though…just drunk…." I admitted with a grin that he returned and then helped me down the hall. Once we reached a back door to the garden, we walked outside and he asked how old I was, since I didn't "look old enough to drink".

"3385r34y6t73," I blurted out.

"….that's…not a number…and you _are_ drunk…" he observed with an amused smile.

"One time," I said randomly, "I was walking down the hall of my school and someone grabbed me and pulled me into a room and I broke a fucking chandelier and I had to pay my debt off and I hate this guy who has glasses but I can't remember his name—Kyo? Kyohahaha? Kyoruaga? KYOGRE! Like pokemon. Oh man, shit, I love that game. Pikachu is adorable and if I had a Pikachu I'd totally like, go on a killing spree and slay all those I hate and then—mmmmrghhh!"

So, this French guy? Yeah, he apparently kisses girls after knowing them for like…what, two hours? Not to mention said girl was totally drunk the whole time. And under the legal age. Not that he knew that. He still thought I was 3385r34y6t73 years old, so…yeah.

"Whoa, dude," I cried as I pushed him away. I rubbed at my mouth with the back of my hand and made weird gagging, hacking noises. "You taste like dirt."

"….what?"

"Yeah, dirt. Dirt like…ground dirt. And I don't want to kiss you. And I'm drunk, so technically this is like, rape or something. Or sexual harassment….I dunno, something," I babbled as I rubbed at my mouth until it burned. "Wait…fuck! THAT WAS MY FIRST KISSSSUUUU!" I cried dramatically.

"Lucky me," the French Domino quipped with a cheeky grin. He went for another but I punched him…yet, the alcohol threw my perception way off and I missed entirely, swinging limply at the air next to his arm. Well, shit.

"KYOYA!" I screamed suddenly, on a drunken stupid whim, "IF YOU'RE MY GODDAMN DATE, AT LEAST HAVE THE DECENCY TO SAVE VULNERABLE ME FROM THIS GROSS DIRT-SMELLY FRENCH GUY! OI, WHERE ARE YA, FOUR-EYES…! ALL THIS TIME, FOLLOWIN' ME, AND NOW YOU'RE…oh, there you are."

I grinned dreamily when Kyoya maaagically appeared, as calm as ever, right beside us. He looked annoyed, which didn't bother me. I didn't want his concern, just his body – wait, no, not like _that_. I mean like…to protect me, though really, I'd usually get mad at the idea but I'd rather throw my pride away than get mouth-raped.

"What's going on here, Gregor?" Kyoya asked calmly.

Domino took a step away from me. "Nothing, Ootori-sama…I-I was just—"

"Forcing yourself on my incompetent date?"

"Y-Your date! I didn't know!"

"Leave," Kyoya said calmly and the guy ran off faster than a damn hedgehog. You know, that blue one…Sonic or something… "And you," Kyoya addressed me, his annoyance turning to anger. "What were you thinking?"

"….Uh, nothing."

"Exactly. What seventeen year old drinks? And that much champagne, too!" he groaned as he rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation. "You're a handful."

"Sure," I said.

He glowered at me then gave up and sighed, gently leading me by the shoulder towards the gates. "Let me take you home."

"Sure."

"Next time, don't drink so much."

I felt sort of bad about the reason I drank so much so I shrugged and let him lead me towards the limo. Once we were all nestled inside and off towards home, I slumped against my date completely, rolling my head against his shoulder as drool formed on the corner of my mouth. Yup, I'm such an attractive drunk.

"Ugh…" Kyoya mumbled and I giggled.

"Y'know, when you're being all gallant, you're not so bad…" I sighed as I began to pet his hair. "Oh shit! Your hair is so silky and soft! Like a—a cat! Meow!" I babbled as I used my other hand to pet him as well, wiggling in my seat with more obnoxious giggles. Kyoya ignored me and that, for some reason, bothered me.

"Hey, hey, hey," I said as I poked his cheek. "Do I really look pretty tonight?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Sure."

"You look handsome."

This made a weird look cross his face. "I thought I looked like a monkey."

"Nope. Better."

He smiled a little. "Hmm…when the alcohol wears off, you're really going to kick yourself."

I frowned. "Probably."

He pushed my hand away. I put my hand back, then he pushed it away again and this went on for a while before finally he turned to me.

"Stop that."

"Why?" I put my finger on his cheek and grinned. "You don't like girls touching you?"

"I'd hardly consider you a girl."

"Ouch," I said. Angrily, I jerked forward and licked my lips. "I was kissed by a guy. That makes me a girl."

"Getting kissed doesn't decide your gender or personality," Kyoya retorted, leaning away from me.

"W-Well…I have boobs!"

"I can see that," he said sarcastically.

"I have a VAGINA! THAT A PENIS GOES INTO!"

Kyoya stared at me. "…do you even _think _before you speak?"

"No. And I'm drunk, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. I do."

We stared at each other for a minute before I growled. "So…why did you save me anyway?"

"You sort of demanded I did," he said humorously.

"But how did ya hear me, if you weren't outside?"

He pressed his lips together and didn't reply. I giggled hysterically at the reaction and poked his cheek again. "OOOOH! AWW! KYO-CHAN, WERE YOU WORRIED? WAS THAT WHY YOU FOLLOWED ME ALL NIGHT?"

He scowled.

"How _cute_! Th-That deserves a reward…" I said, a slur in my voice. Man, I was so weird tonight. Damn alcohol. This was the _last_ time I drank. Well, before I turned legal, of course.

"A reward," he repeated blankly.

"What do you want?" I insisted eagerly, bouncing in my seat.

"A kiss," he said with a smirk. Sober, I'd know he was joking. But I was too fried to get it and my judgment sucked and good lord, why did I do it? Why did I actually lean forward and press my lips to his?

I mean, sure, it was brief. It was just my lips brushing his then I pulled back and cheered, throwing my arms up which only resulted in my hands slamming on the roof. I grimaced and retracted my reach and rolled back into my seat, giggling hysterically at Kyoya's blank yet somehow stunned face.

I lurched out of the limo once we reached my house and I shouted a good bye to Kyoya and stumbled inside dreamily. Kane wasn't home yet so I didn't bother showering or changing – I just collapsed onto the bed, not even bothering to pull the sheets up. Got kissed twice.

I honestly didn't know which kiss I hated more.

**x**

The next morning, a single shriek resounded throughout the neighborhood, followed by a loud scream of; "I KISSED _WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?_"

Let's just ignore the retching noises that followed.

* * *

**A/N****:** Sorry, there was a death in the family so I haven't been able to sit down and write out a chapter. Anyway, yeah, here we are! Mhm, Kasumi is a drinker. XD  
LOL sorry for this chapter, it was horrible and short. D: but yeah, at least there was an, er, kiss…involved…? ;w;  
R&R and I'll love you long time. :3


	14. The hangover & its aftermath

Okay, so, here's the thing.

_Apparently_ some shit went down last night. What shit, I'm not sure, because my memory was completely wiped clean. Thank you alcohol. But the point isn't that I got dead drunk (which I still feel stupid for), the point is I kissed Kyoya. Like…on the mouth.

I hate life. I really do.

Out of all the jumbled memories I had bouncing around in my head, I had to remember that one. My lips on his, the grin I had when I pulled back, his stunned expression and the butterflies that flapped around in my stomach—_god, remembering it makes me sick._

I could say it was the alcohol that made me puke my guts out the next morning, but actually it was probably the memory of what was on my mouth last night. And yeah, okay, Kyoya's lips might have been unusually soft. And warm. And it actually felt nice, but I was drunk! Everything was nice to me then! It didn't _mean_ anything.

I kept thinking this the next day as I sulked in bed, tending to my hangover. Kane tried to help but whenever he came into the room he got over-excited and started talking loud. And it always gave me a killer headache so I had to kick him out.

It was the day after my "tend to my hangover day off" that I had to face Kyoya. Because I still went to school with him. And since I didn't work this week, I was stuck in the club. But I hadn't seen Kyoya since the incident at the banquet…so I was nervous as hell.

I was literally sweating waterfalls throughout the whole day. I nearly burst into tears at one point, too, which is totally not like me. By the time the day was over and the last bell rang, I was a puddle of goop on top of my desk. I didn't want to move. But I knew I had to, since I still owed the club. And I didn't even have enough money from my job to brag about it to everyone…so yeah, I was totally and utterly stuck.

I managed to drag myself to the club room. My heart was beating at a crazy speed and my face was flushed. I felt sick to my stomach, dreading the confrontation about to come. What if Kyoya told everyone? "Yeah, Kasumi jumped me last night! She was all over me!" Ugh, how could I face everyone? I mean, it wasn't the twins or Honey I was anxious about. It was how I was supposed to face Mori and Haruhi. They were the only ones I liked and cared about what they thought.

Oh, and Kyoya, but only because he's the one I…urk…._kissed._

So when I opened the club doors (five minutes later, mind you) I was taken aback at what I saw. The club members poised on their couch clad in "Alice in Wonderland" cosplay. Yeah, no joke. Haruhi was a "male Alice", but she still wore this huge fluffy blue bow. The twins were Tweedle Dee and Dum, Honey was the door mouse and Mori was the March Hare (I think), and Tamaki was the Mad Hatter. Kyoya was the Cheshire Cat. Ears and everything.

Against my better judgment I chortled with a huge, dorky grin on my face. As seven faces turned towards me I burst out in hysterics; "OH MY GOD YOU PEOPLE LOOK LIKE IDIOTS!" then promptly fell over in a fit of laughter. Yeah, my sanity is in danger here. My nerves from facing Kyoya combined with how hilarious they all looked didn't bode well with my state of mind.

"Ku-chan, you can be the girl Alice!" Honey declared happily.

"Yeah, we got you a dress and everything," the twins chorused, whipping a dress out from nowhere. I stopped mid-laugh and was about to reply when the girls already there got all excited. They swarmed around me and begged to do my hair and urged me to get into the dress. "You'll look so cute!" "Yeah, you should join the fun!" "Kasumi would make an adorable Alice!" "When you change, can I take a picture of you and Haruhi?" "Kyaaa!"

Since when did I become a damn host! Seriously, these girls have no life!

I struggled but the girls overpowered me and I found myself in dressing room, blindingly yellow girls all around me forcing me into that frilly Lolita-blue dress. They even braided my hair and put a bow in! I couldn't even bring myself to punch them in defense. I mean, they were all such girly cute girls! I couldn't bring my fist over far enough to sock any of them. Man…who knew I had a weakness for cute things (minus Honey)?

So yeah, I gave in and let myself be dressed up like a doll. Once it was over I stepped out from the curtains with a grumpy look on my face. But I had to admit, it felt sort of good. You know…to be fawned over. Like a girl. Not that I'd admit it. And I still wasn't that happy about all of this, but Haruhi made me feel better when she made a comment about how cute I looked. I even blushed. Then hid it by throwing a fit about how short the dress was, even though it was only a little above my knees.

Gee…Sayomi was right. I really wasn't honest at all.

"Picture! Picture!" the girls squealed as they forced me and Haruhi together. I decided "aw what the hell" and threw caution to the wind. I grabbed Haruhi's hand and struck a pose, which made the girls laugh as they began a mini photo shoot. Haruhi didn't look that into it but I kept pulling her around, and she even smiled a little at some points.

Once it was over the girls pulled me to Haruhi's table and started chatting me up. It was all at once so I felt a bit dazed and only caught bits of the one-sided conversations; "We've always wanted to talk to you!" "Yeah, but you always gave off this 'do not approach me' kind of vibe…" "And you hit guys a lot." "Not that we blame you." "Hahahaha!" "But you look so cute! Have you been to that French Pastry shop down by the middle school?" "We should go sometime!" "I love that uniform you always wear, Kasumi-chan! It's cute!" "Blah blah blah blah…" Okay, so the last part didn't happen, but it sure sounded like that.

Pfff, since when was I so popular? Not that I was complaining. My standoffish attitude felt useless now amidst the cute faces and excited yellow all around me. They really…liked me? I mean…that's weird, I always thought they looked down on me. But I guess I never gave them the chance. I _was_ sort of a bitch sometimes. Even I admit it.

So, the rest of the day was like this. When the club closed and the girls left, all that was left were the club members.

I braced myself but nobody said anything. No jokes, no taunts, no confrontations…nothing. So Kyoya didn't tell anyone? Maybe he was embarrassed, too. I mean, who wants to be kissed by me? Right?

Everybody changed. Once I was back in my old middle school uniform I was pounced by the twins. "Sooo, how was the banquet?"

"Did mom's dress do you any good?"

"Pick up any cute guys?"

I blinked. "Uh wua wa wa?" I blubbered, making weird noises again. They grinned at my response.

"Well, she did get a kiss," Kyoya deadpanned coolly as he got his things together. My face exploded with heat and I glared at him. He smirked but didn't look at me. The bastard—he wouldn't—

"Uuuooo!" Honey yelped. "Who? Who kissed Ku-chan!"

"Well…" Kyoya said. I shot daggers at him but he didn't take the hint. "I suppose telling you wouldn't hurt."

I couldn't form words.

"She was kissed…" Dramatic pause. "By a foreigner."

I opened my mouth then stopped. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" I shrieked. I pounced him, slapping both of my hands over his mouth. I was blushing like a damn school girl at this point. "NO, NO, NO! YOU BASTARD!"

"Kasumi-chan was kissed?" Haruhi said, titling her head. No, not you too, HARUHIIIII!

"By a foreigner," Hikaru and Kaoru echoed.

"Did he speak sweet, sweet English in your ear?" one of the twins asked with a sly smile. My blush deepened. "OMG! Kasumi-chan is blushing! So cute, it's so cute! She's so cute!" Hikaru barked in laughter (I think it was Hikaru…I'm still not good at this).

"It—it wasn't consensual!" I defended myself, digging my fingernails against Kyoya's mouth.

He pulled my hands away. "Right. She was drunk."

Silence.

"WHAAA! KASUMI-CHAN DRINKS!"

I scowled. Kyoya's grip on my hands tightened and despite my constant tugging, he didn't let go. And his face was close. So…close…_argh_! I began to remember that damn drunken kiss. And how it felt, and how I didn't hate it—not until I was sober, that is.

"Let go," I said quietly.

"Hmmm?" he hummed in amusement.

"Let go of my damn hands!" My voice didn't hold as much confidence as it usually did. I was shy. Me. Kasumi. _Shy_. What the fuck!

"But they're soft," he said. Gently, like he was putting the moves on me. The bastard—!

"My hands aren't soft."

"Yeah, they are." His thumb brushed my palm. I flinched. "You could easily push me away. What happened to that strength?"

The bastard was messing with me.

"Let me go."

"Is that all you can say?" He smiled. His mouth was close to my face. I felt like I would pass out from the heat that spread through my body. "Kasumi…" he murmured.

I blinked.

"WHOA!" I heard. I jumped and knocked my head against Kyoya's and we both fell back and away from the other. I looked up, dazed, and saw the whole host club huddled together staring at us.

"That was hot."

"Kyoya was pretty smooth!"

"Kasumi-chan was so red! She looked like she wanted to kiss him!"

Damn twins.

I opened my mouth and blushed even more.

"AWWWWWWWWWW! SO CUTE!" the twins sang.

I bit the inside of my mouth in rage. So, maybe I was weaker than usual. I just got over a hangover! And maybe I remembered the kiss whenever Kyoya got close, so I acted…weird. But I still hated him! And he knew that, and he still messed with me, acting like he was flirting with me just to get a rise out of me. And in front of everyone too!

In front of _Mori_.

The thought made my blush deepen. "I-I'm going home!" I barked in frustration. I turned tail and ran, totally forgetting I left my bag behind. I didn't realize this until I got home, red-faced and panting. I cursed and stomped about, deciding to just get it tomorrow. I went inside, still fuming from what just happened, when I saw Kane.

"Feeling better?" he asked. I nodded. "You okay? You look like ya have a fever…"

"DAMN IT, THE KISS WAS A MISTAKE! I WAS DRUNK, OKAY? LAY OFF IT!" I exploded.

Kane blinked. "Wh-What?"

"N-Nothing!" I said hastily, suddenly embarrassed. Damn. I was an emotional train wreck. "Nooooothing at all."

"YOU KISSED SOMEONE!" he yelped. "Okay, who do I need to beat up? Who got you drunk? Who kissed you?" Kane raged, cracking his knuckles. But he didn't look all that threatening.

"Nothing! I swear!" I grumbled. "Uh…what happened with your girlfriend?" Change the subject; smart tactic.

He stopped. "She…well…"

"Whu?" I asked.

"She told me that she likes me too," he said with a dreamy smile. "But…until we get out of our marriages, we're stuck."

"Oh," I said sympathetically. "Sorry Kane."

"No, this is great!" he bellowed with a smile. "Kasumi, she _likes_ me. Like I like her."

"That's great."

"And my fiancée…well, she's coming Friday. For dinner and to meet with me."

"Greeeeat," I said. I was losing interest.

"You don't have to look so bored…" Kane said with a pout. "Is my love life that boring?"

"Ehhhhh!" I said with a shrug.

"K-Kasumi is so mean!"

"I'm just honest."

"No, it's mean!" Kane whined. "Oh!" he said as he turned all serious again. Some bad shit, Kane. Bad shit. "Sayomi called."

"KYAAAAAAAAAA!" I screamed as I shot past him into the other room. I grabbed the phone and nearly ripped it off the wall. I needed Sayomi! _I need my best friend _right now_, dammit!_

I called her faster than the speed of light. She picked up on the third ring with a happy greeting of "hee~llooo?"

I burst out all at once; "OMIGAWD SAYOMI YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT I GOT DRUNK AND KISSED KYOYA AND THEN THE GIRLS RAPED ME WITH LOVE AND I'M SO CONFUSED AND KYOYA IS FUCKING WITH ME, LIKE BLACK MAIL OR SOMETHING AND I AM SO FREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW AND I NEED YOOOOOOU."

Silence.

"YOU KISSED _KYOYA_! THE CREEPY GLASSES GUY!" Sayomi shrieked.

I sobbed dramatically. "Yeeeeeeeeeeeees!"

"Girl…yous gots some issues," she said in her ghetto voice.

"I-I was drunk!" I whined.

"But seriously, _Kyoya_?"

"I got my first kiss stolen by some cocky French guy…then I gave away my second to the guy I hate most in the world. I…suck," I groaned in defeat, slamming my head against the kitchen wall repeatedly.

"Erk, that does suck. And stop hitting yourself. I called for a reason you know; I'm coming down thuuuuur!"

I stopped my self-infliction of pain and perked up. "NO WAY."

"YES WAY."

"WRYYY?" I was such a cool cat.

"Okay, so, I got a job there! I mean, I was offered a job. It's hard here, you know, finding a job that doesn't pay you minimum wage…anyway, I got a call yesterday. And get this; it's for Yuzuha Hitachiin! She's like, a fashion icon! And she offered _me_a job! Can you believe it?"

I blinked.

"…..whut?"

"Y'heard me, girl! I know I'm not done with college yet, but I was offered an intern job at an actual fashion company there. The only thing is it doesn't pay, but since I can still finish my classes online, I'll be fine—my parents will still pay my housing and stuff."

"Wow."

Okay, _what_? Why would Kaoru and Hikaru's mom offer Sayomi a job? Unless…no, they couldn't have pulled strings for Sayomi…right? I mean, they barely knew her. And why go that far for her? Not that Sayomi isn't the coolest person ever, but…

"Yeah," she agreed with a content sigh. "We have to meet up or something. I should be there by the weekend."

"Right. Cool."

"You okay? You sound out of it."

"Well…"

"Oh, right, you _did_ kiss Kyoya…" she said with an amused giggle. "Anyone would be out of it. But, before I hang up on yo ass, I have to ask. What was it like? Kissing him?" she asked. I could just imagine her evil grin.

"Bitch," was all I said before hanging up.

Weird stuff was happening.

Hikaru and Kaoru's mom offering Sayomi an internship…Kyoya acting weird…_me_ acting weird…Kane acting all weird…shit was really happening. And I couldn't follow any of it.

Like always, I was left behind.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for the slow updates. Things have been crazy down here, guuuys.  
And yeah this chapter was sort of weird. But yeah, stuff is going down soon soooo yuppers. :3

Any ideas for future chapters? What do you wanna see happen with Kasumi and Kyoya? :D lol yeah I've been having writer's block lately so some help would be awesome! Thanks for always being there, guys. It means a lot that you follow my story and that you like it so much. :3

Every time I read a review I get this dorky smile on my face~  
Also, thanks for the support with the recent death of a family member. We all took it very hard. We spent all day yesterday watching home movies with her in it, laughing and crying together. We're healing. Slowly but surely.

Well, I hope to see you guys soon!


	15. I AM Doctor Evil!

When I told Sayomi about the twins she thought it was "fucking hilarious". She remembered them so that was good, I guess, but her lack of actual reaction somewhat annoyed me.

"Come on Sayomi. This is the Hitachiins we're talking about. The twins who killed a puppy."

It was Friday and I had gathered enough free time between work and school and the club to call Sayomi. I replayed what she had missed (she wouldn't let up about the whole kissing Kyoya thing) and then we honed in on the topic of her internship.

"They didn't kill a puppy," she sighed. "They _pretended_ to kill a puppy."

"So what! Same concept!"

"Besides, if I remember correctly, they adopted the puppy didn't they?" she asked coolly. I bristled. "Ahhh I heard your breathing grow all heavy. You be piiiiissed."

"It's just—you don't find it suspicious at all!" I yelped.

"Uhh no. Maybe a bit weird, but not suspicious. You think I don't have enough talent to get a great offer like this? Is that it?"

I knew she was kidding but I still felt guilty.

"Nooooooo that's not it…."

"Aw c'mon, Kasu-Kasu, sto—"

"Excuse me," I said in a mock-amused voice. "What the fuck did you just call me?"

Pause. "Kasu-Kasu? ….Chan?"

"Utter that nick name again and I will throttle you."

"I'm on a plaaaaaane! I'm on a plane! You can't get me on a plane! HA!" she sang. I could just imagine her retarded wiggle-dance. "Who's laughing now, huh?"

I rolled my eyes. "If you're on a plane….why are you on your cell phone?"

"Nobody noticed."

"Sayomi, if you caused a plane crash, I swear—"

"Aw shit, the stewardess saw me. Ack, she's coming this way, gotta go, call ya when I laaand~"

I heard a distant "miss, put that away" and a thump before the dial tone. I turned my phone off and rolled my eyes again at her lack of concern. I mean, was I the only one who found this all weird? But whatever. At least I'd have my best friend back.

I stretched and lopped into the living room. Kane was on the couch passed out with his phone clutched in his hand. I could only guess he had been on the phone with Rina. I got a blanket for him like a good younger cousin and put the phone on the coffee table then went to my room.

There was nothing to do. I didn't have my job today and I didn't want to deal with people. Sayomi was enough to exhaust me.

So I went online.

I began to laugh when I saw my bookmark list; the chat room. I had forgotten about that. With the whole Kyoya thing, I would love to rant about my woes with people who could sympathsize with me. So, with a wistful little smirk, I entered the chatroom with my old name. It was the same people as last time. What luck. Right? Or maybe it was just creepy….I didn't know nor did I care. As long as I got to rant.

**GGWhite**: my friend is dating a guy there now. I'm worried…  
**Pyramidface**: ohhh.  
**Pyramidface**: oh wait, someone joined the chat!  
**Pyramidface**: Virus!  
**GGWhite**: Hello again!  
**Virus**: You remember me? Weirdoes.  
**GGWhite**: haha  
**Pyramidface**: so how's life at Ouran?  
**Virus**: ….oh. you have no idea the hell I've gone through.  
**GGWhite**: go ahead. You can tell us.  
**Virus**: long story short, I got roped into going out with Kyoya Ootori and I kissed him because I got REALLY hammered. And now he's using it to blackmail me. Sort of. Kind of. Well I'm sure he WILL. He pretty much dangled the info in front of my face the bastard….  
**GGWhite**: whoa  
**Pyramidface**: ewwwwwww grosssssss  
**GGWhite**: real mature Pyramid.  
**Pyramidface**: how was it?  
**Virus**: ugh gross don't ask me that!  
**Virus**: …  
**Virus**: it wasn't bad. I mean, kissing a guy cant be bad unless he slobbers on you or something right?  
**Virus**: and I was drunk so everything felt good  
**Virus**: I mean if I was sober I'd throw up  
**Virus**: cuz I hate him  
**Virus**: SHUT UP  
**GGWhite**: We didn't say anything XD  
**Pyramidface**: SOMEONE is in denial  
**Pyramidface**: hey, ok, so I was thinking of pulling the biggest prank ever on the club. You know that dumb rich-kid festival they're doing this weekend? Tomorrow night?  
**Virus**: Oh I know. They invited me. I'm NOT going.  
**Pyramidface**: no, you should go! Omg and you have an IN. I was just gonna sneak in. but if you come we can go together  
**Virus**: why should i? I don't know you ppl. You could be psycho kids with guns or something….  
**GGWhite**: XD  
**Pyramidface**: ANYWAY, Virus' paranoia aside….i was planning to do this prank thing for revenge. On every poor kid who has been wronged by the school.  
**GGWhite**: I'm in.  
**Virus**: but you mean the school. The host club hasn't done anything have they?  
**Pyramidface**: awwww the kiss has turned Virus soooooft! CUUUUTE  
**Virus**: now I wanna meet you just so I can punch you in the face.  
**Pyramidface**: anyway I can email u guys the details. But we can meet in front of the school. Virus, we cant do it without ya. It'll be awesome. Come on. Come onnnnn  
**Virus**: no.  
**Pyramidface**: think about Kyoya. That kiss. The evilllll in himmm. Think of any club member you hate. Thinkkkk, rememberrr!  
**Virus**: …..

In a moment I remembered Honey and the twins and Kyoya and my anger towards them erupted. Mori and his silence and the fact that I know he'd never in a million years like me like how I like him, and the twins and the poor puppy, and Honey and his perverted hands and smiles….oh, god. Throw caution to the wind Kasumi you're about to make a retarded decision.

**Virus**: Fuck that. I'm in.

**x**

The festival was yet another stupid thing the club made up. Apparently it was to celebrate some seasonal event thing….but honestly, I wasn't into that whole scene. So of course I refused when they insisted I attend. They were so persistent that one afternoon I found a box from the Hitachiin with this sakura-themed pink kimono. I would have thrown it outside onto the steps in a fit of blind rage but Kane convinced me to keep it so I could sell it later. The boy aint as dumb as I thought.

Now, though, it seemed I'd actually wear it. I told the club I would attend the party-festival-thing and Tamaki nearly had a heart attack…OF JOY (I am _so_ witty). I decided to meet up with the public school kids in front of the school gates and we'd go over the plan there. So that night around seven, I got ready.

Only not. That's a total lie.

Usually I'd drag Sayomi over to help but she had to settle in, so I was stuck with Kane as help. We had to go online to find out how to properly put a kimono on. _Then_ Kane wanted to do my hair a certain way and, yet again, we had to go online. My hair was long but somehow Kane figured out how to clip it up into a neat braided bun. He even got all excited and girly and adorned it with sakura petals from the tree outside. It was disgusting and I kept making corny jokes about how he "could tell me that you're gay….there's no reason to hide it." He didn't find it as hilarious as I did. But whatever.

Once it was done Kane gushed and gushed to a point where I wanted to bang my head against the wall. Yeah, I admit I looked unusually girly ("Cute! Adorable! Fucking perfect! Gorgeous! Etc…"; Kane's words, not mine). But seriously. I wasn't getting dressed up to seduce anyone, for god's sakes (of course Kane didn't know that). But I guess I blended in relatively well.

I ended up at the gates feeling like the odd one out. Seriously, my face was a dark scarlet and everyone who passed by seemed to just _stare_ at me. God, did I look that ridiculous?

I began to chew my fingernail as nerves took over. Could we really pull this off? I mean, I made that stupid decision on a whim. What if it blew up in my face? I continued thinking like this until I was nearly clawing my hair out and screaming at the heavens.

Then I heard a voice. "Virus?"

Oh, fuck.

Then I turned around.

* * *

**A/N: **lol the long-awaited update. ;A;  
Sorry college is starting soon i've been busy as fuck down here hahaha. SO YEAH THIS CHAPTER IS REALLY SHORT SORRY. when i become less busy the chapters will become longer. thanks for being so patient with me.

anyway hope this is an ok chapter. u;  
we get to meet her chatroom buddies! :U  
anyone have any clever "prank" ideas? XD throw 'em at me~  
see you guys later. 83


	16. Exploding pastries & a dose of angst

Once upon a time there was a girl named Kasumi.

She had an okay life. Her mother was a warm parent who always gushed over her "adorable little doll" by buying her clothes and showering her with attention. Her father was equally giddy around his daughter, insisting he teach her how to fight off perverts and play baseball. Then one day, her life was gone. Her parents were gone and she was too stunned by the environment change to properly understand what had just happened. She didn't have time to sit and mourn over the loss of her family. In the blink of an eye she was in a strange new house with a strange new guardian, and it was as if it never happened. Like…she always lived this way; the life of a stubborn rich princess who refused help from anyone.

Then she met the host club and things blew up. They pulled emotions out of her she long buried away; embarrassment, comfort, rage, _happiness_….not that she even realized it herself. This Kasumi girl was so stubborn that she wanted to destroy what she had discovered with this club so she plotted with strangers online and there she was. There _I_ was. Dressed up, turning in slow-mo towards the voice that had so boldly called me by my oh-so-clever screen name, ready to throw away whatever it was the club had given me. Which was nothing special.

My gaze landed on who I assumed to be GGWhite.

Out of the other plotters involved in this plan, GGWhite was the only female. And so was this girl. She wore a tan kimono, though it wasn't dressy like mine – hers stopped below her knees and the sleeves were baggy in a fashionable sort of way. She had bright brown hair tugged into a side bun, big green eyes dancing with glee when I nodded mutely in response.

"PyramidFace—well, his real name is Yuu—should be here soon," she said in an obnoxiously-adorable voice. Seriously, she sounded like a voice actor or something. "Oh! By the way, my name is Aoi."

What…no last name? That's a bit too familiar. Still, I felt a bit bad so I returned the favor; "I'm Kasumi."

She beamed. "Kasumi. Cute name!"

"Ermm…thanks?" I chuckled awkwardly. It wasn't every day an adorable girl complimented you. "So, do we just wait here for Yuu?"

"Yeah. He should—oh, there he is!" Aoi sang as she turned to wave enthusiastically, shouting out "Yuu! Yuu!" repeatedly. Eventually I saw who she was calling out to. He stood out because of his bright blonde hair and the sunglasses he wore despite the fact it was early evening. He wore sneakers with his dress pants and blazer and kept slapping his thigh as if in tune with a song. Weirdo.

He stopped in front of us and grinned at me. "Virus?"

"Kasumi," Aoi corrected before I could reply. "That's her name."

"Cute name," he smirked.

I scowled. As if I wanted him, of all people, to say that. I didn't like him all that much…huh, did I have some sort of grudge against the whole male species? It would seem that way. Maybe the host club traumatized me. Yeah, that was probably it.

"So," Yuu said as he clapped his hands together to get our attention. "You guys ready?"

I groaned. My role in this plan was obnoxious and I had thrown a fit over it but, in the end, I had agreed. I still wasn't ready for it. But it would all be worth it. "Yep," I finally grumbled and Yuu grinned. He slid his glasses up to rest atop his head and winked at both of us.

"Alright then. Let's get going."

**x**

The party was, unsurprisingly, extravagant and sparkly. It was held outside in this large garden, where they had set these long strings of lights up that sparkled obnoxiously. The gazebo was the worst; the lights were _pink_ and had these flowers strewn across the top, sparkling like some pixie fairy. GG—I mean _Aoi_—kept gushing over it. Yuu even grabbed some petals from the gazebo to sprinkle it in her hair, which made her blush and giggle. I nearly gagged (but it was a party so I was polite and merely cringed).

"So," I said, "this stupid prank idea of yours…when is it gonna happen?"

Apparently Aoi had the original idea and Yuu elaborated off of that. I had nothing to do with it; they just told me what was going down and what they wanted me to do. Honestly I found the prank a little old school. But whatever, as long as the club's party was ruined and they got a shock. Heh.

"Soon. When I give the signal."

I nodded and we separated. Aoi hung on Yuu's arm and I wandered off towards the club. They were (of _course_) on this huge stage they must have hauled in the day before. Tamaki stood up front clad in this hilarious samurai attire and next to him stood Haruhi, donned in a long silk-white kimono, a black wig with hair that flowed past her shoulders adorned with pink petals. The twins stood behind them in regular warrior clothes. Mori was dressed as a king (oh gosh Kasumi _do not drool do not drool_) with Honey as a prince. I found this weird, considering the dynamics of the club, but whatever. Kyoya wasn't dressed up at all; he stood near the stairs of the stages on his laptop, looking quite perturbed by something.

Tamaki was talking up the crowd, re-telling the tragic story of the "Sakura Princess" and her "tragic love" with her samurai. They even re-enacted the whole thing, the losers (though Haruhi's monotone, totally-not-into-it performance was hilarious). Once it was over they got off the stage to mingle. That's when Honey spotted me and flew over, crying out my name. The others followed.

"Yo," I said as Honey clung to my waist giggling. "Wassup?"

"Ku-chan, you look so _pretty_!" Honey squealed. I pat his head awkwardly, resisting the overwhelming urge to roll my eyes.

"Thaaaaaanks."

"You wore the kimono mom made for you," Twin 1 pointed out (oh gosh I forgot which was which again, dammit). I scowled, hoping that was the end. But oh no, they decided to draw it out like the twerps they are. I swear they're fucking sadists or something. They just love to see me in pain.

"Yeah, Kasumi, I thought you'd rather die than accept kindness from a Hitachiin."

"Your words, not ours."

"Yeah, not that it doesn't look amazing on you."

"Heh, I thought pink might look good on you."

I blushed.

"You were right, Hikaru. Pink does look good on her."

"Okay, shut up!" I finally exploded, my cheeks red by then. "I didn't dress this way for you retards, so stop harping on it! B-Besides, I don't have any fancy kimonos or dresses so….I had no choice."

"Ohh, she's sulking."

"Shut up Hikaru!" I squealed.

Eh, I got it right—Hikaru's smirk told me this much. I scratched the back of my neck, grimacing at the sweat that ran across my fingers. Gosh it was humid outside. It wasn't even mid-evening yet…hopefully it would get colder.

"I think she looks pretty!" Honey piped up. "Mori, don't you agree?"

Mori 'hn'ed and smiled a little. My face exploded.

"Okay, enough of this! Seriously!" I grumbled. "So…why are you guys dressed like idiots yet again?"

Tamaki grinned and I instantly regretted the question when he spun to stand in front of me, blocking the rest of the club. "Well, Kasumi, this festival is held for Princess Saku, a.k.a. Princess Sakura! You do know her tale, correct?"

Just so he wouldn't begin telling me I lied with a short "Yep." But of course that didn't faze him. He went on as if I hadn't said anything.

"She was the daughter of a feudal lord, who had a long line of noble blood. She was raised to marry the prince, but she fell for a traveling samurai. They met every night under the sakura trees!" He posed dramatically at this. "But one day, they were caught! The samurai was killed and since then, Princess Sakura has been waiting under that tree for him."

"….you made all that up didn't you?" I deadpanned. It sounded way too cliché. Tamaki gasped then rolled into a corner as he sulked, muttering woes about how—gosh I don't even know, that idiot is always sulking about something.

"It's just a story," Haruhi said.

"Obviously its more than that if there's a festival for it," I muttered then scratched my neck again. It better not be a new habit. "Anyway, listen, I have to g—"

_SLAP!_

We all turned towards the sickening noise. There stood Yuu and Aoi, face-to-face. Aoi's hand was raised and tears were in her eyes as Yuu stood there, still and expression shocked.

"How dare you!" Aoi gasped through heaving sobs. "How dare you lie to me?"

That was my cue. I ducked away as everyone watched in fascination at the distraction. The rest—well, I'll keep that a secret. You'll see soon enough. By the time I was done completing my mission I slid back, stifling a smirk. Yuu was standing there awkwardly as everyone stared at him. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see Aoi, who was grinning through her fake tears.

"You were awesome," I whispered in amusement.

"Why thank you. Did you do it?"

I nodded.

"Alright. I'll see you later." With that she slipped away. Yuu eventually scurried off and the club turned to each other, Tamaki shouting about how love shouldn't suffer on such a romantic day. I walked away to meet with Yuu, who asked me the same thing Aoi did. I gave him the same answer.

Yuu and I chattered, mimicking an angry boyfriend ranting to his friend. A while passed before finally, the food was presented; Moon cakes and other fancy deserts along with actual meals were spread across a rather long table adorned with what looked like silk sheets.

I tried not to grin.

"In honor of the festival, here's our special Sakura desert," Tamaki announce grandly, presenting a huge-ass pink cake. It had petals (aduurrr) sprinkled along the pink edging icing, a large flower resting on the top. It was beautiful. In more ways than one (kukukukuku…). "Princess, cut the cake."

Haruhi stepped forward.

My grin fell.

The knife went for the cake and, for a split second, jumbled thoughts ran through my head; _oh god oh god I thought Tamaki was gonna cut the cake I like Haruhi she doesn't deserve the brunt of this oh sheesh I feel bad now I hope she doesn't hate me I actually like her argh this is fucked up shit but it's done I can't do shit now—_

She looked annoyed, but she cut the cake. I looked over and saw Yuu's smirk, Aoi's giggles, and my gaze returned to the stage right as the screams began. Thick blood (or what looked like blood) oozed from the cake. It dropped all over Haruhi's hand and, confused, she stared down at it. I grimaced and waited for part two. After a few moments the cake rumbled and BAM. Explosion.

"EEEEEK!" "KYAAAAAAAAAA!" "_THE CAKE IS HAUNTED_!"

Okay, the last one made me laugh, not gonna lie. I tried to look innocently surprised as I gawked at the club, now covered in cake. One by one, the deserts began to explode and flew to topple over the guests, ruining their expensive hairstyles and dresses. Girls shrieked and ran around in hysterics and the boys just looked confused.

Haruhi was head to toe in fake blood and cake chunks. Suddenly, Yuu and Aoi appeared on either side of me, clean and cake-free.

"Good job Kasumi."

"Hehehehe, look at their faces!"

"Their stupid party is ruined," Yuu cackled.

I looked at the stage, trying not to laugh. Tamaki was covered in cake, as were the rest of the club. Mori had some in his hair and I tried to shake the imagined idea of brushing it out of his hair. No time to be girly, Kasumi, this is your mission! It succeeded, bask in it! Grinning, I looked to see what happened to Kyoya and froze. His eyes were on me, serious and irate. His glasses were smeared with icing, his clothes splattered with fake blood and a few chunks of cake.

Despite the fact I knew he knew, I broke down into hysterical laughter.

It was pretty bad. I was literally on the ground gasping for air, tears in my eyes. Aoi found my laughter hilarious so she ended up doing it too, and Yuu just laughed like a normal person. Then Kyoya got up, wiped his glasses off, dusted the cake away, and approached us.

"Oh, shit, run guys!" I yelped as I attempted to stand. Yuu grabbed Aoi and dashed off with her despite her inability to walk by herself in the fit of laughter she was in. I would have gone with them but, lucky me, I slipped in a thick pile of goop and landed on my back with a breathless "ow". And before I knew it I had four angry Host Club members surrounding me, head to toe with cake and expressions angry.

I giggled. "Hi, guys. Such a romantic day, aint it?"

**X**

My head was down in a feigning pose of shame. The party had disbanded and everyone was gone. Mori took a dirty Honey home (he kept trying to eat cake off of people, the weird little runt), the twins reluctantly escorted Haruhi home, and…that left me with the prince and glasses. Niiiice.

Tamaki was lecturing me as he shook his large samurai sleeves, glistening violet eyes oh so passionate as he explained to me the importance of romance in our daily lives or something like that. Kyoya just stood next to me, silent.

"Why would you do this?" Tamaki demanded.

I looked at him with an amused smile. "Why _wouldn't_ I?"

"We put so much effort into this!" Tamaki continued. "You ruined it all!"

Whoa, why so serious? It's just a stupid festival party thing. "Don't get your lady panties all up in a bunch, geesh, it was just some exploding cake…."

"You just don't get it!" Tamaki wailed as he crawled into his corner to sulk. Kyoya sighed and pushed up his glasses, finally deciding to grace us with his opinion.

"Why don't you go home and clean up? I'll handle things here."

Oh shit.

"B-But…"

"Just go."

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck.

"Alright…" Tamaki sighed in woe as he dragged himself off, pathetic noises leaving his form every now and then. Drama queen. I turned my attention to Kyoya and grimaced. Alone with glasses dude, how nice. I bet he'd do some old-fashioned chinese torture or something. Or maybe he'd blackmail me some more. Or beat me up. Or call the mob on me. Or—

"I'm raising your debt."

Or that.

"What? Wh-Why!" I yelped. "I thought the money I got working and the fact you seemed tired of me being here—"

"That was before you decided to plant bombs in our food," Kyoya said calmly. "You cost the club a lot of money, in more ways than one. So, I'm raising your debt."

I paled. "Wh…"

"You should be ashamed to ruin such a serious event." This guy couldn't be serious. "What would you parents think?"

This made me bristle.

"You know jack shit about my parents," I whispered. He didn't seem to hear me.

"Would they want you to be running around shouting at everyone and blowing money like that? Would they be _proud_ to see you create exploding cakes? I'm sure they raised you bet—"

_Slap!_

It was my turn to do some slapping. I stood from the chair I had been forced in, my palm stinging with the force of the slap. I didn't know why I didn't punch the ass hole; I guess emotions blinded me and I used my girly instincts opposed to my Kasumi instincts. Anyway, he looked stunned, glasses tilted slightly with a light welt on his cheek.

I wasn't crying but my breathing was heavy and my cheeks were flushed.

"How dare you," I said coldly. "How _dare_ you?"

With that, I turned and left the room, slamming the doors heavily behind me. I marched down the hall in a blind rage. It wasn't until I stumbled outside, realized I had forgotten my shoes (I took them off in the club room since they were sopping wet), and realized how cold it was that I let myself cry, just a little.

* * *

**A/N:** oh shit oh shit.  
Guys. Hey guys. I updated. Holy shit.

Anyway, yeah, sorry the prank sucked. XD My friend suggested it and I thought it'd be funny. Anyway, I realized I never mentioned Kasumi's relationship or her feelings on her parents. I didn't go into detail about how their deaths really effected her….and I've been using way too much stupidity and humor for my stories. So I threw a bit of angst in there. LOL. /shot

XD

I also made Kyoya a bit of an ass hole (more so than usual) near the end. I think I may make them have a "special moment" (god knows they need one) in the next chapter. Maybe I'll even delve more deeply into her parents and shit. IDK, if you're not interested in seeing that let me know. Just thought I should explain it a bit more.

Anyway, thanks for reviewing! Let me know what you guys think! :3


	17. Bonding with Mister Glasses

I don't remember the last time I cried after my parent's death (unless you count the time the twins pretended to eat a puppy). It wasn't like I broke down and collapsed on the sidewalk bawling my eyes out or anything like that. I just…stood still, barefoot and cold and angry, and I felt tears burn my eyes. I bit back a roar-sob and rubbed my eyes, and I was off. I didn't let the tears fall until I entered the mansion and felt warm and safe again, and a few fell down my cheeks and that was that.

They were tears of anger. I knew that much. I mean, who the hell did Kyoya think he was? What made him think he had any right to say those things to me? He didn't know my parents. He didn't know how much I loved them and how hard I took it when they died. I wouldn't get out of bed for weeks and I cried myself dry. Maybe that was why I had trouble crying now. Maybe my tear ducts were malfunctioned.

Anyway, I did cry. A lot. I wouldn't move, not until uncle's gentle voice that reminded me of my dad's snapped me out of it. He'd come to my room and tell me stories about him, then he'd tell me about how he cried when he first held me or how much he admired my parents for what they did to protect their love. Stupid things that didn't seem important but, back then, they warmed me. Eventually he coaxed me out of my room and….things got better. Uncle made me see a psychiatrist or whatever you called 'em, and though he didn't do much, I did improve. It took a while but it helped not to think about it. I mean anyone, even someone like me who seemed to hate everyone that tried to be nice to me, would be torn over such a shocking event.

But no, Kyoya didn't know that. _I bet he thought I coldly shrugged when I heard of their death like "whatever". The fuck! I'm human too, I cried and I mourned, what gives him the right to speak to me like that, to speak about __**my parents**__ like that—?_

I got angrier the more I thought about it.

I stormed into the kitchen, grinding my teeth when I saw a note on the counter. It was from Kane happily telling me he was 'settling things' concerning the arranged marriage and stuff. That he wouldn't be back for days. This made it worse, because if anybody could calm me down it would be Kane. And Uncle, but he was never home because of business.

So I was alone. That made things so much better.

**x**

I skipped school the next two days and stayed in bed. All I did was eat, watch TV, seethe about how much of an ass hole Kyoya is. Then I'd eat some more. I ignored phone calls and didn't even bother to call the school.

Then, on the second day of my ditching spree, the doorbell rang.

I groaned and ignored it, but whoever it was…they were insistent. Eventually I pulled myself out of bed and stalked for the door, wrenching it open to yell at whoever dared to interrupt my sulking break. Then I realized who it was.

"Go away," I snapped, slamming the door in their face. Except Mori's hand reached out to block the door and I couldn't close it. I glared at him, then the others. The whole host club was there in their uniforms. They must have come straight from school.

"What do you want?" I gave in, opening the door again. Honestly, I didn't get why they cared so much. But whatever. I just had to chase them off. "Listen, if you're mad about the party fine, but I'm sick so…"

"You're not sick," Tamaki said.

"How would you know?" I growled.

"Can we come in?" Haruhi asked politely.

"No," I said. "Just tell me what you want to say."

"Sorry," Tamaki burst out. "I was too harsh, I'm so sorry if I hurt your feelings, please stop ditching school it's not good to make it a habit, you'll get expelled then fail high school and resort to selling yourself on the streets and I don't want my dear daughter to become a street prostitute!" Tamaki rambled with a wail, tears suddenly gushing from his eyes at the horrifying idea. I tried not to smirk.

I kept my blank face on. My eyes drifted to rest on Kyoya and I said, "It wasn't your lecture that made me so upset."

Kyoya pushed his glasses up and cleared his throat. Haruhi looked at him suspiciously and the twins, oddly quiet, looked pretty uncomfortable. "Let me speak to Kasumi-san alone. You can all leave."

"Eh?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked in surprise.

"I don't think—"

"Fine," I interrupted the concerned-looking Haruhi. "You all go. Kyoya, come in."

Kyoya stepped inside and I slammed the door in the rest of the club's faces. I locked it and turned to Kyoya, who hovered close by, eyes shielded by the glare of his glasses. Creepy. But I was too mad to make fun of it. I glared at him, my arms crossed and my temper already rearing its ugly head.

"Well?" I asked.

He adjusted his glasses again. Was that some weird habit of his?

"Did what I say the other night upset you?"

…Uh, seriously?

"Well when someone slaps you it usually implies that yes, they're angry," was my reply.

"I might have been a bit harsh."

"No shit," I snarled. "You hit below the belt, mentioning my parents when you know nothing about them or anything about _me_."

"Then tell me," he said coolly.

"I—wait. What?" I blinked repeatedly, confused. Did he just ask me to tell him about my parents? That…wasn't like Kyoya, at least not from my experience.

"Tell me about your parents. About you."

"….stop shitting me," I said coldly. "Since when do you care about me at all, mister high-and-mighty? You only care about things you can make money off of."

Again with the adjusting-my-glasses thing. "I'll be stuck with you for a while, now that your debt is raised. It seems logical to attempt to be on level ground."

I gulped. "…fine." Only because I needed to vent, to talk to _someone_ before I exploded. Even if it is someone I loathe. "Follow me." I turned and marched up the stairs. Kyoya followed me in silence. We got to my room and I pushed him inside (literally) and left the door open before I sat on my bed. He stood near me, eyebrow raised slightly, and I rolled my eyes as he hesitantly sat beside me. It wasn't like I was nervous he'd make a move or anything. I wasn't like those girls who got all giggly and anxious just because a cute boy is in their room—

Did I seriously just imply Kyoya was cute? Ew, ew, ew, gross.

I cleared my throat and laughed nervously. "So, what do you wanna know, Mr. Glasses?"

He ignored the nickname like the cool guy he was. "Whatever you want to tell me."

The first ten minutes were full of awkward silences and weird stares. Finally, though, the dam broke and I rambled on and on about everything. About my parents and how fun it was being a family, about how I almost had to go to a mental hospital after their death by Uncle managed to get me functioning again, stories about life with my mother and father, about how my skill with computers helped me get through the transition (let me tell you, sending viruses and hacking into random databases is pretty fun), about Kane and his fiancée and girlfriend, and my failing grades and how I met Sayomi and how much she means to me—

I just kept going. Finally, out of steam, I slumped and lay back on the bed, covering my face with my hands. I was horrified, realizing how much I had just spilled to this guy. But I felt a lot better. Who knew talking about it actually helped? I always thought it was just what peopled said to convince you to spill the beans.

But what made it so easy was the fact that Kyoya just stared at me in silence, listening patiently to my rambling.

Damn him and his listening skills.

"Sorry," I finally said. I groaned. "I can't believe I actually told you all of that."

He shifted and I didn't dare look at him. "Let me properly apologize. I shouldn't have said what I said last night."

I pulled my hands away and looked at him. "…Well shit, now I can't be mad. Fine. I accept your apology."

Oh gosh. He actually smiled.

"Good."

Why did I feel all content now—happy, even? I guess talking about it, no matter who was listening, really did help ease anger. Who knew? I adjusted my shirt and pushed myself up into a sitting position. I pushed my long hair over my shoulder and turned to face Kyoya, who was still looking at me.

"Oh but don't tell anyone what I told you or I'll rip your eyes out. And wipe your laptop clean. Got it?" I threatened. He smiled again and I swear I got goosebumps. Good or bad, I don't know. Wait—fuck, I mean bad! _Bad_ goosebumps!

"I understand."

We stared at each other in silence for a few moments then I cleared my throat and stood. He followed suit. "You should, uh, go."

"I should."

"I'll come to school tomorrow."

"Alright."

"And I'll come to the club. I have a debt to repay," I grumbled, crossing my arms again. Instead of smiling he smirked.

"Alright."

"You can walk yourself to the door."

"Right," he said. He turned and left my room without even looking back. Once he was gone I sat back down on my bed, angry at how lonely I suddenly felt. Please don't tell me that by spilling my life story to Ootori, it meant we had some weird bond now? God, no, anyone but him. I rubbed my forehead harshly and groaned under my breath, curling into a small ball as I fell onto the soft bed.

_And I thought Honey was bad…._

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guyssss. Fast update, I know. Don't get used to it. XD

You see, I wanted to crank out as many chapters as I can before I get busy with school. xux

Hahaha on a more related note, omgggg Kasumi and Kyoya bonded. :U hahaha sorry if he's a bit OOC. =u= Also, sorry the chapter was so short. The next one will be longer, i swear. XD AHEMMM...aaaanyway, I have nothing to say, really. Uh, R&R? XD

Love ya guys, see you later! (:


	18. Touya

"Oh, god…don't go into the closet DON'T GO INTO THE CLOSET—"

"AAAAAAAAH!"

"EEEEEEEEEE!"

It had only been a few hours since Kyoya left and Sayomi was over. After I had called her sobbing hysterically she demanded I shut up then hung up on me. I thought she was mad but then she appeared on my front step, arms open and sobbing her eyes out too (for some reason). We embraced dramatically and I told her everything. After she insulted Kyoya for his insensitivity I explained that he wasn't "that bad", after actually showing an interest in me and listening to my babbling patiently. Then, after a while of her relentless "ooooh from Mori to Kyoya so fast?" jokes, we decided to try to forget our woes for a while and popped in a horror movie.

And there we were, curled on the couch huddled together under a blanket, screaming our lungs out as a monster eats the stupid side character that went into the damn closet—he should've listened to us. We know our shit.

"So," Sayomi said as the main character was shown chatting with her older love interest (aka the boring stuff we ignore), "you're going back tomorrow?"

"Yeah," I shrugged.

"Hmmm."

"What? …WHAT?"

"No, nothing, it's just…hehe…"

"Sayomi, the grin on your face looks disgusting."

"Kasumi, that angry face looks sexy as fuck."

"Oh god Sayomi…."

"Kasumi…."

"Sayomi, d-do you really think I'm sexy?"

"YES, KASUMI! I've always loved the way you called me names and emotionally abused me all these years! The truth is, I LOVE YOU! And I want nothing more than to screw your brains out right here, right now!"

"S-Sayomi…!"

"KASUMI…!"

Sayomi and I lunged at each other at the same time, arms spread wide as we tumbled onto the floor in a tangle of limbs. Sayomi made sloppy make out noises as she licked my cheek and squeezed my butt, which made me squeal in disgust then laughter. We rolled around as I tried to wiggle away from her, but her grip was strong. Fuck, don't judge us, we have a weird sense of humor.

Then the TV blared and we realized shit was going down. So we returned to our blanket fort on the couch like we totally didn't just molest each other on the floor and made a fake love confession. Yeah, we're awesome like that.

We didn't talk again until the movie's credits rolled and creepy music began to play. Sayomi began to make up retarded lyrics for it so I decided to spare us both and spoke up.

"Sooo, remember how I told you about what happened at the festival?"

She stopped singing to raise her eyebrows at me. "You mean how you blew food up with your public school friends you met online?"

"Er….a-yup."

"Yeah I remember. Wha, why?" She curled up and leaned against me, batting her lashes up at me with a big grin. I pushed her away and huffed.

"I remember giving Aoi my number, but she hasn't called."

"Sooo….?"

"So you'd think she would after what happened," I grumled. "I mean, I know I told them to run but she could've helped me up when I fell!"

Sayomi snort-giggled. "I still find it hilarious that you tripped during your epic getaway."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"Bitch."

"Whore."

"Ugly."

"I SEE WHAT YOU DO ALONE IN YOUR SHOWER!" Sayomi suddenly cried, pointing dramatically. I gasped.

"Y-You see my shower dance!"

"AND YOUR SHOWER SONG!"

"Oh, god, no!"

"And I quote, 'this is my shower, my sexy Kasumi shower, scrubbing my hair and my body, my sexy body, body, body, bo-bo-bo-body'—"

"You pervert, you watch me shower!" I squealed.

"FOUR TIMES!" Sayomi declared as she held up four fingers. "All during sleepovers! It's fricken' routine, you weirdo!"

"SAYOMI, IMMA KILL YOU!"

"Oh yeah? I'd like to see try—EEEEK!"

And that was how we were on the floor again, rolling around—only this time Sayomi wasn't trying to rape me. I was tickling her spitting insults as she squealed in laughter, flailing like a fish on dry land. We both began to shout, our voices escalating, getting louder and louder and louder until—

"What the fuck is this?"

We both froze. Oh, god, I knew that voice. How could I forget? That voice was always hovering by my ear during my parent's funeral, then during the transition into uncle's place and all the legal jumbo—that's right, folks. That was the voice of my second cousin.

What, nobody knew about him? I didn't either until my parent's death. Of course I didn't really know anyone in my family because of the issues between my parents and my dad's family. Still, he appeared like magic while I was still processing their deaths. He was handsome, tall, and only twenty-five—yet he already has his own multi-billion company; he's Kane's father's pride and joy. Poor Kane is treated like dirt compared to this dude, who offered to take me in through marriage. I shit you not, _marriage_.

I bet it had something to do with my dad. But I never knew much about him, and Uncle refused to delve too deeply into his family and financial life. All I knew was that Uncle and Father's parents were rich and something was up with them…but nobody told me anything. It never bothered me, not until this weird cousin appeared offering financial support if I married him. That wasn't normal.

So after I rejected him and ran off with Uncle, he flew off to Italy or something like that, never to be heard from again. Until now, apparently. Urgh.

"Sayomi and I were making love," I replied smoothly. Sayomi giggled nervously and wiggled away from me, red in the face. "How did you get into the house?"

"Your uncle called me…he said he was worried about you being alone here, and since I was back in Japan…." he trailed off, eyebrow quirked. Touya was usually pretty good with keeping cool; his face was always composed and calm, but right then he looked thoroughly disturbed. His grey eyes were squinted slightly, his dark hair slightly ruffled despite being cut pretty short. He wore a business suit that was rumpled, like he ran around in it without adjusting.

Heh…right. Touya running? Nope, he'd hire someone to carry him everywhere. Rich bastard.

"I was just keeping her company," Sayomi explained, blushing. Even Sayomi, of all people, got flustered around him. I mean, he _was_ an older man with handsome features that were admittedly pretty swoon-worthy. Even I thought 'wow, hottie alert' when I first met him. That was until he opened his mouth, of course. Seriously, this guy was arrogant as hell.

"I see," he replied.

"Uh, should I leave?" Sayomi asked awkwardly.

I suddenly jumped at her, clinging to her arm. "No. You're staying the night, remember?" I demanded, my eyes begging. "We've only watched one movie, we barely got to talk."

"I need to speak with you, actually," Touya said. God, more like drug me then drag me to the nearest court house. No thank you. "In private. So, Miss Sayomi, if you wouldn't mind leaving…."

All kidding aside, I felt fear grip my chest and my stomach dropped. Why did Uncle ask Touya to come? He wanted to marry me, for god's sakes, not because he likes me or thinks I'm hot, just because—I don't even know! But he was suspicious as fuck.

"Sayomi…" I whispered.

She looked worried but turned to Touya, suddenly frowning. "I told Kasumi I'd stay with her tonight."

"Was that defiance I heard?" he asked coldly. "Miss Sayomi…you have an internship with Miss Hitachiin, do you not?"

Oh, god.

"Yeah, so?" Sayomi snapped. I could see the uneasiness on her face despite her strong words.

"It would be a shame if they were to drop you."

Was he threatening her, just because she wouldn't leave? I snarled and Sayomi looked confused, and all the while Touya looked _so_ proud of himself. Smug bastard. How dare he? At this point, Kyoya was like a saint compared to this guy. I just wanted to rip that smirk off his face. If he was going to be staying here for the next few days…OH GOD. _Shit, don't think about it Kasumi, don't think about it…urghhhh…_

"Sayomi, just go," I caved in. No use sacrificing my best friend for my own comfort. I knew Touya wasn't really the type to rape me or kidnap me or whatever, but I still didn't want to be alone with him. But I wouldn't risk Sayomi for that.

"But, Kasu—"

I squeezed her hand and grinned. "I'll call you."

She looked nervously from me to Touya a few times then whispered, "Fine, but if you don't call me in forty minutes I'm calling the police."

I rolled my eyes and smiled a little. I went to walk her out but Touya stopped us, face as cold and uncaring as ever.

"She knows her way out. Goodbye, Miss Sayomi."

She scowled and muttered, "bastard" under her breath as she gathered her things and left. I watched her go in anxious silence, wondering what Touya would do or say. Honestly I hadn't spared this guy a thought since the funeral. He was seriously nothing until now.

Shit times a thousand.

"Kasumi," he said calmly once the doors shut, signaling Sayomi's departure. I swallowed nervously and frowned up at him, the tall sonovabitch. "How have you been? Have you handled your new school well?"

I bristled. "Yes. Just fine, actually. Uncle has been more than kind to me."

"Hmm, is that so?"

I scowled. "Yes. It is."

"I've heard from my sources that you've joined a Host Club?"

"So what?"

"It's unfitting for my fiancée."

…..

I have no words. My mind seriously went blank when he said that. I just stared up at him, aghast and at a loss for words. Not only did he suggest I was unfitting for him, he referred to me as his fiancée. I thought we had established that no, I was _not_ his fiancée, the smug bastard.

My scowl deepened.

"I want you to quit."

"I would if I could," I burst out. "But I have to pay back a debt! I broke shit and I owe them a lot of money."

"I can handle that," he said coolly, like he wasn't aware how much he was pissing me off. "How much should I pay this club?"

"Nothing, because you're not going to pay them and I'm not marrying you."

He smiled. "I'm afraid you are."

"I am NOT!" I hissed, too angry to even raise my voice.

"You may not know this, but your mother arranged our engagement when you were born in order to repay a debt to my mother."

"What debt?" I snapped. My mother wouldn't do something like that! Besides, my dad's side of the family hated her, why would she even have contact with Touya's mom?

"Hmm, you don't know?" he asked in amusement. "Well, I do love breaking illusions, so I'll tell you."

I had a really bad feeling about this.

"After you were born, something happened to your mother that caused her to bleed out. While you were fine and dandy, she was dying on the hospital table. There was a surgery she needed. However, since your father's family cut all ties with him they couldn't afford it. Desperate, your father called my mother and begged for her help. She agreed to transfer the money and your mother survived with her aide.

"My mother had planned the whole thing—she isn't a charitable person, so of course she had ulterior motives in helping your mother. She wanted an in with your father's family, mostly his last name and bloodline, so she bribed your mother. She basically told her that if she didn't give up her daughter to me when she became of age, she would destroy your family. She had the means, and your mother knew it, so she agreed."

I gawked.

"And here we are," he grinned, spreading his hands. "Your mother had planned to find a way out of our agreement, but she died before she could. How sad."

The…bastard…what was he saying? It was my fault? I almost killed my mother and that made her become tangled up in this debt? Wait…so, if she was trying to get me out of this engagement…

No, that was insane. Their death was an accident. Not a murder, and for such a stupid reason. But…this was a major mind fuck. I couldn't even form a coherent thought, much less a sentence, so I just gawked at him in horrified silence.

"Why?" I finally croaked out. "Why would you even want to marry me?"

Touya shrugged. "I'm afraid that's something you have to find out on your own. You poor, foolish girl…raised in such filth…with that wench mother of yours, that pathetic excuse of a house, when you should have been raised properly."

I bristled.

"You have no idea how powerful the Yoshinda family is, do you?"

I gulped. "Shut up. Get out. I don't need you here."

He chuckled. "I can't. I'm here with intentions to bring you back to Italy with me as my wife. I must stay to convince you. Which I will, in due time." He grinned. "You have no idea how convincing I can be."

I began to shake. "Listen, ass hole," I snarled, "I don't want you here. I'm not marrying you, and I don't care what your mom did. I'm not marrying you, and if I have to pay back my mother's debt to get out of it I will. So don't you dare approach the Host Club, don't you dare try to screw with my life, and don't you are convince yourself that I'm your fiancée."

"I'm not leaving, Kasumi," he smiled.

"And stop calling me that!" I roared, nearly kicking the door down as I tried to get out. "Fine, stay here if Uncle wants, but come near me and I'll whack your head clear off that fat neck of yours with my foot!"

He laughed. "I suppose when we get back to Italy you'll need to be taught some manners."

I resisted the urge to retort as I sprinted up the stairs straight to my room. I slammed my door shut and locked it, panting heavily. I shakily made my way to bed, collapsing in exhaustion as I curled up against my pillow, near tears. Everything I just learned…mom wouldn't do that, would she? She wouldn't give me away like trading a goat for damned food, would she? She wouldn't, I know she wouldn't! Touya could stay here, fine, like I said earlier he wasn't the type to drag me kicking and screaming despite his arrogance. But still…this was all so twisted and messed up.

Who were the Yoshindas, exactly? Why did my grandparents seem to be so important to everybody? Why was everyone so damn interested in me? First Yamamoto with all his setting me up on dates, then there was some other families that seemed to invite me to their parties (I never went of course) or make marriage offers, and then Touya. Touya had to be the worst out of all of them. But, seriously, why me? Why was my family name so damn special?

_**Thud**_.

"YAAAAAAAARKKK!" I shrieked as I heard the heavy noise to my far right. I flailed a bit, messing up my perfectly made bed, and whipped around to see what it was. It was—"Sayomi, I thought you went home!"

She grinned up at me. She had scaled the building and climbed through my window, the creep. She was on her back, legs in the air, a sheepish grin on her face. Once I helped her up, however, it turned serious.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" I murmured as I sat down on my bed. Sayomi sat next to me and stroked my hair, which made me feel a lot better. "Apparently my mom gave me to Touya to repay a debt. He's convinced we're supposed to marry, so he's staying to try to bring me back with him." I groaned and buried my face in Satomi's boobs. She usually whacked my head and yelled when I did that, but this time she just continued to pet my hair. Grinning I adjusted myself so that only my cheek rested on her chest, the top of my head tucked against her neck. "Sayomi, this sucks."

"Your life is like a soap opera," she agreed. "Or a really bad fanfiction."

"Yeah. A really bad fanfiction," I agreed. We stay there for a few moments in silence then I spoke again. "Well…tomorrow isn't gonna be fun. Everyone is probably still mad about me ruining the party…and I'm gonna be grumpy from all this shit."

"Touya will probably want to take you," Sayomi added. The bitch was right. Argh, thanks for rubbing it in my face. "Oh my god, what if he announces your engagement to the whole school? Your chances with Mori and Kyoya will go down the drains!"

"There _is_ no engagement, moron, and—wait, Kyoya! I'm not involved in some fucked up love triangle, Sayomi," I scoffed.

She giggled like an idiot and pat my head playfully. "Silly, silly Kasu-chan. You love Mori, while Kyoya is eyeing you in silence, brooding over your refusal to even accept him as a friend. Meanwhile, Mori has no interest and you're just running in circles wasting your time pining over hi—OUCH! KASUMI, DON'T PINCH MY BOOB! THAT HURTS!"

I scowled and bit her cheek. She squealed and flailed, smacking her hands weakly against me in an attempt to push me away. We both began to wheeze with laughter as we wrestled on my bed, biting and smacking each other hissing playful insults. We continued to roll around laughing like idiots until a knock sounded at the door. Touya's concerned voice (that was sarcasm by the way, I don't think he's capable of concern) floated through the door.

"Kasumi? Are you alright?"

We both froze. Stifling giggles Sayomi pressed my pillow to her mouth while I adjusted myself and cleared my throat. At least he had enough decency not to burst through my door without knocking.

"I'm fine, sorry. I had the TV on but it's off now. I'm going to bed, I have school tomorrow. Uh…go stay in a guest room or whatever," I replied, grinning when Sayomi had to bite the pillow to stop herself from shrieking in laughter. That girl was pretty loud, just saying.

Silence. Then; "Well, alright…but I'll take you tomorrow."

"No, that's not necessary."

"I insist."

I growled (Sayomi was still giggling despite my sudden frusrtration). "I've been going to school by myself since I was in middle school. I'll be fine."

"I'm aware of that, but I'd like to make sure this Academy is up to Yoshinda standards. I can't have you going to a school incapable of properly educating my future wife."

Sayomi stopped giggling and frowned at the door. She looked at me and mouthed _what a fuckass_, which made me feel better and less homicidal. I was about to kick down the door and punch him in the face but Sayomi's presence helped ease my anger just a little.

"Do that on your own time, not mine."

I heard him sigh. "I'd also like to meet with this Host Club." I bristled. "I'm aware there are some high-class names in that club, and I'm quite happy that you're making bonds with those groups, but…the club itself is a disgrace. I'd like to discuss your debt to them. I'll be willing to pay for you."

"I said not to," I said. "I can handle it. Listen, fine, you can take me but that's it. Don't you dare make any contact with the club or you'll have zero chance of even speaking to me on equal grounds. Got it?"

Silence. Then, another sigh, and "Of course, of course. Sleep well."

And he was gone.

"Wow!" Sayomi cried out in amazaement. "What a douche bag!"

I rubbed my forehead and sighed. "I know, right?"

"He seems like the kind of husband to work all the time and only spend time with his wife during social outings for the sake of reputation. You're gonna be a rich housewife who cheats with her husband's clients, aren't you?"

"I'm not! I'm not even gonna marry him!" I grumbled, glaring at Sayomi. "Stop making jokes already."

"Right, sorry, I forgot that you're going to marry Kyoya."

"Sayomi!"

"Out of love!"

"SAYOMI!"

"And you'll have adorable kids! You've had your first kiss with him, next it'll be your virginity—ouch, Kasu-Kasu, I said not to pinch my boob! Eeek!"

Sigh. Things could only get worse from here.

* * *

**A/N: **I updated a longer chapter as promised! :D

Sorry for lack of canon characters, it's full of OCs. And a new OC, Touya! :'D He's not as bad as he seems, I promise. Yeah I love how cliché this story is, wheee. /shot

Yup, I told you guys I have plot, and it's starting to come out. Gasp. :U WHO ARE THE YOSHINDAS AND WHY ARE ALL THE OLD RICH GUYS AFTER KASUMI? OH DEAR! OH MY! OH PARALELL PARKING, OH—kk I'm stopping now sorry. c:

Uh I think that's all. Oh, also! I wanted to say I love you all, you're so kind to review my story and encourage me. Whenever you say that you like my writing, it makes me want to write more. ;u; Thanks for your support, it really means a lot! Well, until next time! /crawls off to bed


	19. Elanor: Part 1

Diet soda.

If I had to choose something to describe the feeling I had at that moment, it had to be diet soda. It tasted fine when you thought about drinking it, and when you took that first sip it tasted fine. But then, once you swallowed it down, that horrible aftertaste struck you and you smacked your lips in repulsion until the taste went away.

Yeah. My life is one big diet soda.

Touya was staring at the school as I gathered my things and I was blushing—yeah, blushing, because I was in one of those small but just-as-gaudy-as-a-limo black Italian cars. Touya sat at the wheel, leaned back in his chair as he eyed the school as if he could magically get some sort of reading from it.

I slid my bag over my shoulder and reached for the car door.

"Kasumi."

Was this guy actually touching my hand? I glared at my hand, lightly touching the door handle, and Touya's larger hand clasped over it. He leaned forward, broad chest radiating heat onto my back, his face close to my neck. If I didn't hate him so much I might have gotten flustered at how intimate we were, but I knew he was only doing it to intimidate me.

"What?" Come on Kasumi, keep your cool. This guy was nothing. He's like an animal...he can sense your fear.

"Come straight back after school."

I flushed in anger. "I have club activities."

"I told you I'd take care of it."

"And _I_ told you not to step foot in my school, because you have no right." I twisted to glare at him, our faces reeeally close, but I was too mad to feel awkward about it. "Let go of my hand."

He did.

"I'll be back later so don't wait up," I snapped as I wrenched the door open and jumped out of the car. I shut the door and stormed off, still upset by the whole Touya thing. It didn't help that my classmates were looking at me oddly, and I heard them mumble about me ruining the party. Even the girls who crooned over me looked at me in disappointment. Thanks. Rub it in, rich bastards.

The rest of the day was pretty bad (for me). People were oddly quiet around me, or looked at me oddly, and I could only guess they had figured out who was the mastermind behind the exploding pastries. Even though it wasn't me, I guess it was easier to blame someone who goes to the same school. Or maybe it was because I got Aoi and Yuu in...whatever, point was I was being blamed. Cool. Whatever. See if I care.

Then class was over and I opened the clubroom door, prepared for some scolding. Imagine my shock when I opened the doors to reveal fluff. Well...fluffy feathers. Yeah, everybody was dressed up like angels and devils. Despite my angst and self-pity, not to mention preparation for a good beating for screwing up the party, I couldn't help but stare at Mori. Seriously, Mori dressed as a devil? Mmmm.

"Good afternoon, Kasu-chan," Tamaki said. God, now the prince was using that ridiculous nickname?

Wait. Nobody gave me those disappointed stares like everyone else. They...were acting like nothing happened. Confused, I slowly put my bag down and advanced further into the clubroom, waiting for something to happen. The worst that happened, however, was a tiny Honey clad in a (I had to admit adorable) angel outfit. His fake wings fluttered as he flew at me, cuddling into my stomach with a big grin on his face.

"Kasu-chan, I was worried when you wouldn't let us in! Are you feeling better?"

I looked up, saw Kyoya's smile (erk, those goosebumps again...!) and understood a little. Maybe he said something, or maybe the host club were just idiots with bad memory. Either way, I was off the hook, and if Kyoya was responsible for that then thank you Mr. Glasses.

"Uhm, yeah..."

"Good. Now put this on," a new voice purred. I yelped, realizing the twins had appeared on either side of me. One held up a pair of black wings, the other a dress of some sort. Before I could protest I was being dragged off into the dressing room. I decided I owed them this much and begrudgingly changed into the dress, which went to my knees and flowed like air, and then the fake wings. I wasn't that bad, actually. I frowned and exited, shuffling shyly when gazed turned to me.

What? I can be shy, too.

"Kasu-chan looks so pretty!" Guess who that was.

"Indeed." Guess who—

Wait. The fuck? Did Kyoya just say say— "Customers will be arriving soon!" Tamaki cut through my "wtf" thoughts. I then noticed his outfit; white suit, white wings...a sharp "pffft!" left me and I slammed my hand over my mouth, stifling giggles. He looked so ridiculous that it was sort of adorable. My shoulders shook and I turned to hide my red face and teary eyes. Seriously, these guys were idiots.

The club opened and people filed in. The girls avoided me, which depressed me just a little because usually Kyoya didn't bother me when I was entertaining customers (mostly by acting like a sulking child that the rich girls found cute). But, with the girls avoiding my gaze, I had to go around like the maid I was supposed to be. At one point a girl—not one of the friendly ones I was used to (she was probably new)—tripped me and giggled at how clumsy I was. I ignored her after catching Kyoya's warning gaze, but that didn't stop me from flipping her off when he wasn't looking.

Nothing eventful happened for the first half hour. Not until the worst possible thing happened.

Uh, no, Kyoya didn't suddenly spill my secrets of anything, so I guess "second worst thing" would be more fitting. The door flung open to reveal Touya. No shit. TOUYA. Just...standing there, expression calm but his eyes alight with anger. Did he seriously expect me to come home right away? Did he seriously drive here to pick me up like some brat? Hell no, this guy would get a fist in his face as promised. I _told_ him to stay away...

I blushed instantly, remembering my attire, but before I could change he spotted me and stormed over. A hush fell over the clubroom and all eyes were on him. The girls who recognized him whispered with others, and all watched him with glittery "I'm so totes in loooove" eyes or something equally retarded.

"Kasumi."

"What?" Despite my outfit I straightened my back and matched his icy gaze.

"I told you to come back after class."

"I told you I had club."

He smiled. "I came to bring you back."

I dropped my smile and growled. "Go home already. You don't have any right to tell me what to do."

"I do. We're enga—"

I lunged, slamming my fist against his face. Well, I _tried_ to, but the bastard was sharp. He stopped my punch, gripping my fist tightly so I couldn't jump away from him. He pulled me close, expression less amused and more angry.

"We're going."

"I hate you!" I shouted, deciding to go the "bratty tantrum" route. If I kicked up a fuss he'd lay off. He was that sort of guy...you know, the kind to run away if he was embarrassed by his companion. Or something like that.

"Mhm," he sighed, as if dealing with a child, which only pissed me off more. He tugged me by my fist, still refusing to let off. Finally, someone spoke (none of the girls of course, they were too busy gushing over Touya).

"Kasu-chan, you're leaving? Who is this man?" Honey asked.

"My cousin," I said before Touya could reply. He frowned when I twisted and my wing slapped his face, which was pretty funny...but this was no time to laugh.

"What's with this ridiculous outfit? Take it off immediately. We're going back."

I snapped my hand away and rubbed my knuckle, glowering at him. "No, I'm staying here. I already told you to wait for me!"

"Excuse me sir," Tamaki cut in, "but Yoshinda-san is a member of our club and well, she doesn't seem to want to leave with you. It's extremely rude to force a lady."

Touya and Tamaki had an intense stare down and I had a new respect for the weirdo. I mean he could hold his ground. He actually looked serious, and he wasn't acting like an idiot for once. Nice one Tamaki. You get your first Kasumi Point.

"Your opinion is meaningless to me. Kasumi. Come."

"I'm not a dog!"

"No, you're not," Touya agreed, that amused glimmer returning to his eyes. "But we must go."

"No, we must...er, not!" I snapped, getting extremely angry at this point. "You're disrupting the customers. It's rude! I told you already—"

He grabbed me again and before Tamaki could intervene Kyoya appeared, calmly pushing his arm away from me. Despite my grudge towards him, I jumped to hide behind Kyoya, putting my hands on his shoulders as if worried Touya might pry me off of him. He stiffened a bit at my touch but then relaxed, which was kind of cute. Oh shit, why did I keep using that word with Kyoya, dammit? HE IS NOT CUTE.

And there were more pressing matters at hand.

"Sir, can't you wait until club hours are over?" he asked with a chilly smile. "As Kasumi has said, you're disturbing the customers."

Oh gosh, did he just call me by my first name only? I blushed, despite myself, and squeezed his shoulders tightly in anger. _A bit too intimate there, Ootori. Watch yourself._ He, of course, ignored me and continued to stare calmly at Touya, who looked about ready to flip his shit.

"This is ridiculous. Kasumi, my mother is here, we need to speak with her immediately. Otherwise I wouldn't be so impatient." He glared at me but—weird—his eyes softened when he saw me tense up. In a gentler voice (even weirder), he said, "she's leaving this evening and wishes to see you. We need to go."

"I'm not going."

"I'm not asking."

I released my hold on Kyoya, deciding not to put up a fuss. Might as well get it over with...find the answers I'm looking for, see the face of the woman who stuck me with a monster like Touya, the works. Besides, all this attention on me was embarrassing. Sayomi was right; my life really _was_ like a bad fanfiction. Geesh.

"Fine, whatever, let's go."

"Kasu-chan!" Honey crowed in concern.

"It's cool," I murmured. "Can I leave early?" I asked Kyoya, who looked as apathetic as ever. I didn't even notice his clenched fist until he shifted to push his glasses up again. Whoa, since when did Mr. Glasses give a crap about me? Did that bonding thing in my room really work?

"As long as you return tomorrow."

"R-Right," I stuttered, suddenly nervous for some reason. "Of course."

I ducked my head and went to get changed, my heart hammering wildly against my chest. I didn't like this, but I had to know what really happened with my mom. And Touya's mom would definitely know. She had to. She could give me the answers that have plagued me my whole life, I just knew it. If she was so determined to marry into my family, she had to have a reason—she had to know why my family was so important to everyone, right?

I returned, my bag unusually heavy against my shoulder, a nervous grimace plastered onto my face. Touya and Kyoya were having this intense staring match, and I swore I saw electricity spark between the two. I interrupted by clearing my throat and Touya bid them a goodbye, resting his hand on my lower back before he pushed me towards the door. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the club; Honey looked scared, Mori looked like...uh, well, the usual Mori, Kyoya looked peeved, Tamaki and the twins looked worried, and Haruhi looked the most concerned. I smiled brightly and waved like a moron, not even bothering to gauge the customer's reactions.

I was sure once the door closed, things would go back to normal.

How wrong _I_ was.

* * *

**A/N:** i know this chapter was rushed. but i need to get some stuff (plot-wise) out of the way. and Touya will be here for a few chapters, then he'll leave Kasu-chan in peace, so no worries. XD

also, i'm reeeally busy, if my sudden hiatus didn't make that obvious. i got a math tutor, exams are hectic, classes are insane, blaaaah. i hate school. i barely have any time to sit down and write! D: but i managed a chapter, as crappy as it was. i promise i'll write a longer, more elegant chapter during the weekend once my exams are out of the way, k? please be patient with me a little longer guys. ;A;

thanks, i love you all~ until next time!

EDIT: i keep jumping from "yoshina" to "yoshinda". ._. sorry! i just realized this. BUT THEY SOUND SO ALIKE. just ignore please? thanks. /cry  
I don't have time to go back and fix it. ;u;


	20. Elanor: Part 2

"Kasumi. Good afternoon."

I found the weird order of her brisk and oh-so-fake greeting to be almost as irritating as her smug smile. Elanor was Touya's mother and the biggest bitch I've ever had the displeasure of knowing. How she was related to me I had no idea, but after meeting her for the first time I could see where Touya got his asshole tendencies from. Elanor was a manipulating, backhanded bitch and I didn't say that just because I found out she blackmailed my mother. I pegged her as being such after the first time I met her all those years ago. She was in her fifties and she looked as old as she was; her dark black-grey hair was tugged into an uptight bun and she wore dresses that reminded me of fashion in Victorian-era London or something. But it totally fit her.

Touya had driven me to the hotel in silence, both of us refusing to say anything. After the sudden commotion we caused at Ouran I felt embarrassed and decided to apologize tomorrow, but I had to focus on the matter at hand. I was meeting Elanor again, the woman who caused this mess and the woman who could probably give my the answers I'm looking for.

Why. The. Fuck. Am. I. So. Important?

I'm not very bright, I'm sort of a bitch, I have no friends, and I have no talents other than computer hacking—but that's not a very good career choice. Other than my name I was nothing special. But that was the thing. My name. It seemed that my grandparents were really important and everybody wanted me just so they could take my name and marry into my family. But I had no idea why. Why was I so 'important'?

Elanor, as much as I hated her, loved giving me bad news. So I didn't doubt she'd reveal everything to me. Even more so if it meant there were any chance I would marry her son.

"Yeah, wassup," was my grunted reply. Her smile wavered for a moment but then she recovered with ease, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she nodded at Touya, who stood firmly by my side.

"Son, I would like to speak with Kasumi alone, if you'd please…" Touya hesitated but then bowed and left the hotel room, which kind of made me more nervous but I choked my anxiety down. Elanor turned to face me, smiling coldly again. You could tell she was half European because she had the eyes of a ruthless European dictator, Isweartoggawd. "Kasumi, I wanted to speak to you about retuning home with my son."

"I told him no," I said instantly. "I'm still only seventeen. I'm young and I'm not marrying someone I don't love." Or like. Or have even a shred of respect for.

"I don't see why you're so adamant about rejecting my son," Elanor said in amusement, resting against her hand with a bemused smile. "He's handsome, wealthy, and he'd treat you well."

"I won't marry him."

"It's not as if you have a boyfriend or any future," Elanor pointed out calmly. "If you stayed here you'd merely continue to mooch off your kind-hearted uncle and fail college like you're failing high school." I bristled, biting my tongue to keep from spitting some vulgar insults. "With Touya you'd have all the money you want and spend it as you want. You'd be financially supported and you wouldn't have to work a day in your life. I'd say that's a good deal."

I hissed. This woman—fuckkkk. "Listen, I'm not marrying Touya! And I don't care what my mom told you in the past, I have absolutely no obligation to do it." I relished in her stunned look—she didn't expect me to know about that, ha—and took advantage of her silence. "Now tell me why you're so desperate for Touya to marry me."

She recovered rather quickly and smiled calmly. "Why should I tell you? You're an immature loud-mouthed brat with an anger problem. You've no intention of marrying my son so I have no obligation to tell you anything."

I bristled again, biting my tongue until it stung.

"If you were to marry someone of higher status than Touya maybe I'd feel like telling you may be helpful. More so because it might ruin that relationship," she said with a sneer. "Until the day someone like you finds someone better than my son, I don't intend to say a thing."

Fine. She wants to play hardball, I'll play hardball.

"Actually I _am_ dating someone," I said with a sneer matching hers. "He's the son of a very wealthy hospital chain owner and is supposed to take it over someday. He's better than Touya in every way. You can't ask me to marry someone when I'm dating someone that can challenge his prestige, right? Now tell me what's so special about my family."

Elanor laughed. "Not so fast! Why should I believe you?"

I gulped. Right, so maybe I jumped the gun a bit with that one. I still couldn't believe Kyoya was the first person to come into my mind when she mentioned dating someone better than Touya. That was fucked up right there. But still, I had to stay strong and figure out what the heck was going on here.

"What's your boyfriend's name?" she asked with a smile.

I opened my mouth but found it was impossible to spit out the last of my lie. The idea of even faking being HIS girlfriend sickened me and the name just wouldn't come out. Elanor cackled at my stammering flustered attempt at speech and waved her hand at me, which only made me angrier.

"See? You thought you could lie your way out, how cute. Now listen here, I saved your life. You cannot escape this engagement, Kasumi, so stop trying. I might feel like telling you what you want to know at the altar on your wedding day. Until then I've no intention of revealing a thing."

I bit back my anger and frustration, refusing to speak again in fear I might cry. Kasumi Yoshina _never_ cries, goddammit!

"I'm not lying."

"I doubt you're dating someone like that," Elanor retorted. "You couldn't even say his name."

"B-because I was embarrassed! We…uh, we recently went steady so I'm still all giddy about it! He-llo I'm a teenage girl." _Holy fucking shit I want to shoot myself. _"I'm not lying, Elanor. We're totally in love and you can't do shit about it."

She sighed. "Then tell me his name. Let me witness your so-called love, then maybe I'll accept it."

I gulped again. Shitfuckshit.

"O…Oo…" I tried, clamming up. Then I thought about marrying Touya and making a bunch of ugly babies with him and the name slid out like vomit; "Ootori Kyoya!"

AAAAAAAGH.

"Ootori?" she echoed with a blank look on her face. Well, that was a first.

"Y…Fuck yeah!"

"I don't believe you. Somebody of that status would never fall for you," she laughed. "Stop playing games and just accept that your future is with my son."

"I—!" I began before the door swung open to reveal Touya. And he wasn't alone.

"Mother, I apologize but they insisted to see you," Touya said softly. With him were—you guessed it—the Host Club. Why they followed me or how I have no idea, but judging from their faces I didn't doubt Tamaki was the one who insisted they give chase. He probably thought I was about to get raped or something. I almost smiled but decided against it, and instead jumped into action, hoping my dagger eyes hinted that what I was about to do should not be taken seriously.

I clung to Kyoya's arm and dragged him into the room. "OH, KYO-CHAN!" I said in an exaggerated manner, resisting the urge to swoon for effect. "You followed me all the way here to stop me from marrying Touya! How romaaaaantic!"

He gave me his signature blank stare.

Elanor looked intrigued.

Before the Host Club could speak (they looked ready to be all "DAFAQ" but I couldn't let them ruin this for me) I slammed the door in their faces, Touya included, and ignored Tamaki's banging and wails. "That's right. I wasn't lying. This is Ootori Kyoya, my boyfriend. Now you can see why I can't marry Touya."

Her nose wrinkled and Kyoya was quiet as always, a mixture of bewilderment and intense amusement in his eyes. Douchebag. He was probably relishing my humiliating, shameful actions and like that drunken kiss he'd hold this over me for the rest of my miserable life.

THAT MONSTER! D:

"That's cute. But even if you _were_ dating him, why should I let up on your marriage to my son?" she asked, her fake cheerfulness replaced with cold bitchiness. "Do you honestly think I'd let up just because someone of his status is with you?"

"We're dating!" was my childish retort. "And you know how it would look if you tried to break someone with that much power up just so you can marry off your son. Aren't you obsessed with public image?" She scowled and I continued. "Right, so you can't do jack shit unless you want to be ruined."

"I can wait." Her eyes flickered to Kyoya. "This childish romance won't last long. Until it ends, I'll stay in Japan. You _will_ marry Touya and you _will_ return with us. Now leave."

I opened the closed my mouth, flushing with rage. "First tell me what I want to know."

She smiled. "Perhaps I will when you agree to my terms."

With that she motioned at the door and I scowled again, flinging it open and releasing Kyoya's arm as I stormed off. Touya called my name but I ignored him and the club as they followed me. I didn't even have the strength to kick Honey off when he hugged my from behind and clung to me like a koala bear.

I finally turned to them once we were in the lobby.

"We were so scared you were getting raped!" Tamaki cried out. I would have laughed at how right I was but I was way too pissed. "Thank goodness you're alright!"

"You're engaged?" the twins echoed curiously. "To _that_ jerk?"

"No. I mean…yes, but no," I said with a shaky voice I wanted to get rid of. Fuck this was harder than I thought it would be. "It's a long story and it's none of your business."

"Is it your boyfriend's?" Kyoya asked with a smirk. I blushed.

"Shut up! You should know I was just using you to avoid the marriage! Just play along and don't complain," I demanded.

"Why should I?"

"Eh?"

"You're indebted to me, not the other way around," he deadpanned.

"I—I mean, yeah but—I just…" I was stupid to think we were actually starting to kind of get along. The ass was willing to let me flail like a fish out of water. To marry Touya, of all people. "Fine, don't! I'll marry Touya and leave forever and he'll pay off my debt! Fuck you!"

Wow. Even I was shocked at the outburst. But I couldn't stop. All the anger and stress from the past week just came pouring out. I was like a bitch train that couldn't be stopped.

"I thought maybe just a little, you guys cared about me! I know I'm short-tempered and stupid and I don't think before I act and I'm a bitch, whatever, fine! But I'm still a fuckin' teenage girl! I don't want to marry someone I don't love. I want to be liked and I want to be happy! I really thought I found that with you morons, but you know, I was probably stupid to think that you felt the same way! I can't intrude in your little bubble, can I? Fine! FUCK THAT! I don't need you guys to be happy! I'll find my own happiness, I'll fight this by myself!" I panted, beads of sweat forming on my forehead as my throat dried from my shrieking. "I'm dropping out of school and I'm moving in with Sayomi! I'm going to figure out what's so special about my family and I'm going to pretend you idiots never intruded in my life! I'll never look at your faces again!"

I gasped at the last words and rubbed my eyes before I ran off, ignoring the stunned stares. I bet Kyoya was smirking like always, happy I was out of his hair. I knew I was being reckless but at this point I just…couldn't deal with it anymore. Not that school, the club, Kyoya, Touya, Elanor—fuck them all. I'd handle this myself. I could do it on my own. I've always been stronger on my own; I never needed anybody's help. Not then not now.

Still struggling to catch my breath I called Sayomi. I almost burst into tears when I heard her voice. "Sayomi? Hey, it's me. Can you come pick me up?"

* * *

Sayomi didn't ask me any questions; she just drove me back to her apartment and made me some hot tea. She leaned against me on the couch as I sipped my tea in silence and we watched bad movies. Her warmth against my arm and the smell of her new shampoo soothed me and I eventually nodded off. When I woke up it was dark out and I had a blanket draped over me and pillows propped under my head, the TV turned off and the lights off as well. I turned and fell back into a fitful sleep, the words I said hours again replaying in my head. Did I really mean that? I said it in the heat of the moment but I didn't mean most of it. I never intended to quit school.

But…at this rate, what else could I do? If I didn't do something I'd have to quit anyway and move away with Touya. Either way I lost, didn't I? My head hurt, even in my sleep.

When morning came Sayomi lent me an old white dress of hers once I showered and washed my uniform. We ate poptarts and I finally told her what happened. She comforted me then told me I was free to stay with her as long as it took.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"But do you really intend to quit school? I…don't think that's a good idea, Kasu-Kasu," she murmured.

"I don't know. I didn't mean it, I was just mad and stressed, but…" I trailed off, biting my lip nervously. "I mean if I stay and continue as I am now, Elanor will eventually win. I'd rather try to do something and beat her. I can't do that the way I am now."

Sayomi ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. "I'll support you no matter what you decide to do, okay?" she said with a smile. I returned it and thanked her. I helped her gather her things when she told me she had to leave for work and saw her off, giving her a long hug before I locked the door behind her. I sat on the couch and texted Kane to tell uncle I was staying with Sayomi for a while, not expecting a reply any time soon.

I curled on the couch and stared at my phone, mulling over what my next step should be. For what seemed like hours I did this until finally my phone rang. I expected it to be Kane but the number was unknown so I hesitated, fearing it was Elanor or Touya or god knows who. Eventually I just threw caution to the wind and answered it with a calm "Hello?"

Silence, then an unfamiliar male voice; "Is this Yoshina Kasumi?"

"This is she." He sounded young and—_oh why not yeah I'll say it_—cute. "Who is this?"

"My name is Endo Arata," he said slowly. "I, um…wanted to speak to you about my friend Touya."

My grip on the phone tightened. "Listen, I don't know who you are or why you called me but I refuse to marry him, that's that!"

"No, uh," he stammered, sounding caught off guard at my shouting. "I was calling because uh, well…I mean…" I felt bad for him and regretted yelling; he seemed timid and nervous and not good with words. I waited patiently as he continued babbling unintelligently before he cleared his throat, took a breath, and collected himself. "I called for the opposite reason, actually. Ahh….I…found this number in Touya's address book in his room. I know it's strange to call you but I really need to talk to you."

"About what? How do you know Touya, anyway?"

He hesitated again. "I…well…about…I wanted to talk about your engagement to him."

"Why would his friend care?" I asked, less hostile. I decided to go easy on him since he seemed pretty jittery.

"I'm, uhm, not really his…friend."

"Then who the hell are you?"

Another long pause and some shaky breathy on his end. I was about fed up with this cute guy and nearly hung up before I heard him clear his throat again, take a shaky breath, and drop a bomshell. "I'm his lover."

* * *

**A/N****:** DUN DUN DUNNNN. lol didn't see that coming did ya? /trollface  
yeah i knew Touya was a homo the second i introduced him. hehehehe. THIS WAS ALL PLANNED.  
Anyway so sorry for the unannounced hiatus! things got insane for me. i'm really sorry. but hey guess what? my first semester of college, i got straight As! BOOYAH! i am a genius. :U lolllll not.  
anyway yeah sorry this was rushed and blahh. i haven't had time to write at all lately but decided i needed to get this shit out asap, so here we are. :D i was half-asleep when writing this so hopefully my grammar and spelling isn't TOO bad. XD i also hope nobody is confused.

ahem anyway, thanks for your support guys! D': see you next chapter!


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